Enlargement of the thymus in a child with chronic granulomatous disease receiving interferon gamma therapy.
Both an enlarged thymus (with normal results on histologic examination) and an increase in the percentage of peripheral CD4+CD45RA+ (naive) T lymphocytes developed in a child with chronic granulomatous disease receiving long-term interferon gamma therapy. The thymic regrowth may be secondary to interferon gamma therapy or to overstimulation of his compromised immune system by recurrent infections. To our knowledge, an association between enlargement of the thymus and either chronic granulomatous disease or interferon gamma has not been previously reported.
Kourtis
A P
AP
Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology, and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
Abramowsky
C
C
Ibegbu
C
C
Kobrynski
L
L
D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D006105:Granulomatous Disease, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D007371:Interferon-gamma; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens