The in vitro effects of D-penicillamine upon anti-AChR production by thymic and peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with myasthenia gravis.
D-Penicillamine added to lymphocyte cultures from myasthenia gravis patients infrequently and inconsistently stimulated anti-AChR production. This usually occurred in the presence of pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and often only at a single concentration of D-penicillamine which varied among patients. The change was typically paralleled by an increase in total IgG production of similar magnitude, suggesting that the effect was nonspecific. D-penicillamine did not affect AChR expression in cultured thymic adherent cells. These data provide no evidence that penicillamine induces myasthenia gravis by direct stimulation of anti-AChR antibody-producing cells.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology*; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D010396:Penicillamine