Leukocyte and lymphoid cell counts in myasthenia gravis.
Serial leukocyte counts and lymphoid cell counts were compared before and after thymectomy via sternal-splitting incision in 50 patients with myasthenia gravis. Leukocyte counts and lymphoid cell counts of the thymectomized patients also were compared to those of 30 non-thymectomized myasthenic patients and 150 non-myasthenic patient controls. While mean leukocyte counts did not change significantly before and 5.5 plus or minus 5 years after thymectomy, mean lymphoid cell counts were slightly lower during this observation period post-thymectomy (t equals 1.918, p equals 0.03). Lower lymphoid cell counts appeared to correlate with a favorable response of myasthenia gravis in patients with thymic hyperplasia and mainly involuted thymus.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D013934:Thymectomy; D013945:Thymoma / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D013952:Thymus Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology