title: Thymic myoid cells as a myasthenogenic antigen and antigen-presenting cells.
abstract: We investigated immune property of a myoid cell line, established from Fisher rat thymus. Immunization of syngeneic rats with the myoid cells induced anti-rat acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Implantation of them into the thymus failed to induce typical thymic pathology of human myasthenia gravis (MG) or anti-AChR responses. We also demonstrated that the myoid cells were able to present exogenous antigens to T cells and induce antigen-specific T cell proliferation. These results suggest that myoid cells have the potential antigenicity to induce anti-AChR and the functions of antigen-presenting cells, but their expansion in the thymus may not directly cause MG.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Megumi Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: Takayasu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukudome
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: Masakatsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motomura
authors.forename: Noritoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shibuya
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ayabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007272:Injections, Intralymphatic; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation; D020720:Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic