Autoreactivity between lymphocytes and thymus cells in myasthenia gravis.
Thymus cell preparations from four of five myasthenia gravis patients with thymic hyperplasia and from one additional patient with thymic involution stimulated autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes. No autostimulation was observed in two patients with thymoma. Autostimulation as associated with an increase in the fraction of B lymphocytes in the thymus.
D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*