Elevated frequencies of natural killer T lymphocytes in myasthenia gravis.
T lymphocytes are considered to exert a regulatory function in the development of antiacetylcholine receptor antibodies, but no clear T-cell alterations in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) have yet been found. The authors report a significant increase of recently identified natural killer T lymphocytes expressing T-cell receptor Valpha24. A possible role in disease initiation or maintenance is suggested by the observed strong synthesis of interferon-gamma as well as of interleukin 4.
Reinhardt
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Department of Neurology, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tübingen, Germany. reinhard@mpipsykl.mpg.de
Melms
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D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D016207:Cytokines