Myasthenia gravis: stimulation of antireceptor autoantibodies by autoreactive T cell lines.
We studied autoreactive acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-specific T cell lines from two patients with myasthenia gravis. Anti-AChR autoantibody production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) from the donors of the T cell lines was measured with an enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay, using purified human AChR as antigen. Freshly isolated PBM produced barely detectable amounts of anti-AChR autoantibodies. If, however, autologous AChR-specific T cells were added to the cultures, the production of anti-AChR autoantibodies, and of total IgM and IgG, was markedly stimulated, depending on the number of T line cells and on the amount of AChR present in the cultures. AChR-specific functional helper T-lymphocytes may have a role in the immunoregulation of myasthenia gravis.
D000328:Adult; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic