Th1/Th2 balance alteration in the clinical course of a patient with pure red cell aplasia and thymoma.
Peripheral T helper subsets in a patient with acquired pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) and thymoma were analysed by flow cytometry. Thymectomy resulted in a transient but definite improvement in anaemia. A continuous remission was attained by cyclosporin A (CsA) therapy. The changes in Th1/Th2 ratios corresponded with the haematological changes. Specifically, Th2 type lymphocytes were dominant during a haemopoietic suppression and elevation of the Th1/Th2 ratio was concomitant with haematological improvement. These observations suggest that polarization of Th subsets to Th2, induced by clonally expanded (gammadelta-type) T cells in thymoma, are involved in the pathogenesis of PRCA.
Fujisao
S
S
Division of Clinical Haematology and Immunology, Kumamoto City Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan.
Tsuda
H
H
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000276:immunology; D012010:Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy