title: Lack of Epstein-Barr virus infection in Chinese myasthenia gravis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There are three recent contradictory reports on the incidence of Epstein-Barr virus in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis, with all studies carried out in Caucasian patients. The current study evaluated whether Epstein-Barr virus infection had a role in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis in a cohort of 30 Chinese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serial paraffin sections of thymic hyperplasia obtained from myasthenia gravis patients were analyzed for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA -1 and Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Epstein-Barr virus(+) cervical lymph nodes from lymphoma patients and Epstein-Barr virus(-) thymus specimens obtained during cardiac surgery served as the positive and negative control groups, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the 30 myasthenia gravis specimens were negative for both Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA -1 and Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 tests. However, we obtained well-characterized membrane and cytoplasmic immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization staining for both Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 and Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA -1, respectively, in the positive control samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results therefore do not support a role of thymic Epstein-Barr virus infection in myasthenia gravis pathogenesis and calls for an integration of methodological and interpretation issues in detecting Epstein-Barr virus incidence in myasthenia gravis patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing China, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; C099537:Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA 1; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide
keywords: Epstein-Barr virus; myasthenia gravis