title: Effect of clinical status and treatment on the frequency of CD5+ B cells in patients with myasthenia gravis.
abstract: CD5+ B cells comprise a subset of B lymphocytes that may play a pathogenetic role in the development of human autoimmune disease. We previously reported a high-frequency phenotype (greater than 30% CD5+ B cells) in the peripheral blood of 57% of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and 13% of controls. We have now examined additional patients (n = 41) and controls (n = 27) and continue to find that 44% of MG patients have a high-frequency phenotype of CD5+ B cells compared with 7% of controls. Serial studies showed that the frequency of CD5+ B cells in peripheral blood remained fairly stable for controls and that it may decrease with immunosuppressive therapy of MG patients. In patients receiving anticholinesterase only or no therapy (n = 21), the age at onset of MG, presence or absence of detectable serum anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody, clinical extent of MG, and the duration of disease may affect the frequency of CD5+ B cells in the blood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ragheb
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Lisak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008297:Male; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D001323:Autoantibodies; D018956:CD5 Antigens