title: [Thymoma T helper type 17 cells and related cytokines in myasthenia gravis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the immunoregulatory role of Th17 cell and the related cytokines in myasthenia gravis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally 51 myasthenia gravis (MG) patients were divided into MG with thymomas (TM group) and the MG with normal thymus (NT group), as well as 22 healthy subjects as controls. Th17 cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells were measured by flow cytometry. Th17 related cytokines were detected by ELISA and real-time quantitative-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The quantity of Th17 cells in MG patients with thymomas (1.53 ± 0.59)% were significantly increased compared with that of healthy control (0.94% ± 0.32%, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the number of Th17 cells between healthy controls and NT group. The expression levels of IL-17 mRNA (23.7 ± 4.5) were up-regulated significantly versus those in healthy controls (13.4 ± 3.2, P < 0.01). The levels of mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-23 were up-regulated significantly in TM group. The mean concentration of IL-17 was up-regulated significantly in TM group (30.4 ± 7.3) ng/L versus healthy controls [(19.2 ± 4.9) ng/L, P < 0.05]. Serum levels of IL-23 and IL-1β were always increased in TM group versus healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The elevated levels of IL-17 and other Th17 related cytokines in thymomas may aggravate the autoimmunity disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, the 309th Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-kui
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dong-ning
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000276:immunology; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D020381:Interleukin-17; D053759:Interleukin-23; D012333:RNA, Messenger