Potential role of thymoma and other mediastinal tumors in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis.
Ten non-myasthenic thymoma patients and 12 patients with other mediastinal tumors were compared with 19 myasthenic thymoma patients with regard to an increase in circulating CD4+CD8+ cells and the presence of anti-acetylcholine receptor and anti-skeletal muscle antibodies. Although seven non-myasthenic thymoma patients showed positive results, the proportion of myasthenic thymoma patients who were positive for more than one parameter was significantly larger than that of non-myasthenic thymoma patients (89% vs. 40%). Moreover, one patient with a non-thymomatous mediastinal tumor showing a high CD4+CD8+ cell level had a recent history of seronegative myasthenia gravis. The results indicate that measurements of these parameters may predict the risk of the development of MG in patients with thymoma and other mediastinal tumors.
Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Japan.
M
M
Matsui
H
H
Wada
M
M
Ohta
Y
Y
Kuroda
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000209:etiology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic