Increased thymocyte differentiation in myasthenia gravis: a dual-color immunofluorescence phenotypic analysis.
Thymocytes express multiple, different surface antigens according to their stage of maturation. Surface differentiation antigens have been studied with the technique of simultaneous dual-color, direct immunofluorescence in the thymuses of 20 patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and 10 control subjects with cardiac diseases. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated and phycoerythrin-conjugated monoclonal antibodies were used to stain thymic cell suspensions. A significant decrease in the percentage of immature and common thymocyte phenotypes (CD1+,3+ and CD4+,8+) and a significant increase in the percentage of mature thymocyte phenotypes (CD1-,3+; CD4+,8-; and CD4-,8+) and of B cells (CD20+) were found in MG thymuses compared with controls. These data, indicating an increased availability of mature, fully immunocompetent T and B cells, indirectly suggest the occurrence of an active immune response in MG thymus.
Durelli
L
L
Clinica Neurologica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università di Torino, Italy.
Massazza
U
U
Poccardi
G
G
Ferrio
M F
MF
Cavallo
R
R
Maggi
G
G
Casadio
C
C
Di Summa
M
M
Bergamini
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte