Thymus cells in myasthenia gravis: a two-colour flow cytometric analysis of lymphocytes in the thymus and thymoma.
The thymus in patients with myasthenia gravis has germinal centres and the thymic lymphocytes spontaneously produce anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody in vitro. This suggests indirectly that the myasthenic thymus contains mature T and B cells that are autoreactive. We report a two colour flow cytometric analysis of the surface antigen phenotype of lymphocytes in the thymus and in thymoma in 24 patients and in 14 normal thymuses. The results show a decline in the proportion of double positive immature thymocytes with age. This process seems to be partially disrupted in patients with myasthenia gravis. In addition titres of anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody were positively correlated with the proportion of mature single positive T cells and non-T DR positive cells.
Fujii
Y
Y
First Department of Surgery, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Hayakawa
M
M
Nakahara
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001323:Autoantibodies; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic