title: Decreased mRNA expression of TNF-alpha and IL-10 in non-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells in myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is characterized by T cell-dependent autoantibodies to the acetylcholine receptor on the post-synaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction. The production of autoantibodies is regulated by T cells via cytokines. To investigate the involvement of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in MG, the mRNA levels of these cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells without stimulation in vitro were quantified by competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technique. The mRNA level of TNF-alpha was significantly lower (P = 0.0004) in the overall group of MG patients compared with controls. IL-10 was also lower in MG patients (P = 0.008), most markedly in non-thymectomized patients (P = 0.016). There were no significant differences in IFN-gamma and IL-4 between patients and healthy controls, but the mRNA levels of IL-4 in non-thymectomized patients was significantly lower than in controls (P = 0.02) and in thymectomized patients (P = 0.03). These results, reflecting the in vivo expression pattern of these cytokines in the periphery, suggest an altered cytokine expression at the systemic level in MG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden. wen-xin.Huang@cnsf.ki.se
authors.forename: W X
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fredrikson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pirskanen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hillert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10