By Tammy Carter, Conquer MG Board Secretary and Patient Advocate
Some people with myasthenia gravis have negative results on standard antibody blood tests. This is known as seronegative MG. Negative antibody results alone do not rule out MG; diagnosis requires careful evaluation of symptoms, medical history, examination, and other testing.
At the 2026 MGFA Scientific Session, researchers presented MYA-DACH study findings showing that specialized live cell-based assays detected AChR or MuSK antibodies in a small subset of samples previously considered seronegative. Live and fixed cell-based tests did not always identify the same samples.
What this means for patients: Additional testing may help clarify diagnosis for some people, but it will not detect antibodies in everyone. A complete clinical evaluation remains essential. (This would have helped me 24 years ago during my diagnostic journeys)
A question for your neurologist:
“Which antibody tests have I had, and would additional testing help clarify my diagnosis?”
Sources: MYA-DACH presentation photographed at the 2026 MGFA Scientific Session; Masi and colleagues, Journal of Neuroimmunology, 2022; MGFA Seronegative MG Resource Center.
