Interleukin-2 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with myasthenia gravis.
We examined interleukin-2 (IL-2) production by phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMs) from 75 untreated myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and 48 control patients. Patients with MG consisted of those with elevated PBM IL-2 production (>1,250 pg/ml; mean + 2SD of the controls) (n = 29, 39%) and those with normal PBM IL-2 production (<1,250 pg/ml) (n = 46, 61%). Significant characteristics of patients with elevated PBM IL-2 production included elevated serum levels of anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies, severe generalized symptoms, thymic hyperplasia, and marked effects of thymectomy (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that elevated PBM IL-2 production can reflect functional abnormalities of T cells in some patients with MG, and that PBM IL-2 production should be considered as a candidate target of therapy.
Utsugisawa
Kimiaki
K
Department of Neurology, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan. htohgi@iwate-med.ac.jp
Nagane
Yuriko
Y
Obara
Daiji
D
Kondoh
Ryushi
R
Yonezawa
Hisashi
H
Tohgi
Hideo
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012016:Reference Values
D007376:Interleukin-2