title: Serum BAFF expression in patients with myasthenia gravis.
abstract: A B-cell activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family (BAFF) is an essential B-cell survival factor. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is one of the most typical antibody-mediated autoimmune disorders. To test whether serum BAFF levels are increased in MG patients, we compared the serum BAFF levels of 40 MG patients with those of 30 healthy controls. Serum BAFF levels of MG group were significantly higher than those of healthy group. These results suggested that the BAFF might play a role in the immunopathogenesis of MG and further study on B-cell and T-cell activation may be needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jee Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Joon-Shik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sun Hwha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: Hong-Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kee Duk
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young-Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human