title: CD4+ CD25(high) regulatory T cell in childhood ocular myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Dysfunction of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cell (Treg) has been demonstrated to play an important role in the development of autoimmune myasthenia gravis. This T cell subset, which has potent regulatory properties against immune response, has been reported to have a numerical or functional defect in patients with myasthenia gravis. We examined various T cell subsets, including CD4(+)CD25(+)Treg in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using flow cytometry in a pediatric patient suffering from ocular myasthenia gravis. Contrary to previous reports, the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+)Treg in peripheral blood decreased significantly after successful treatment with prednisolone. This discrepancy could result from diversity within the immunopathogenesis of myasthenia gravis and may underpin a particular subgroup of myasthenia gravis seen in the East-Asian pediatric population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Neurology, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Komaki
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugai
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000276:immunology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit