title: [Number of memory T cells in myasthenia gravis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the altered number of memory T cells in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and confirmed the existence of immune memory disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 27 MG cases (12 females, 15 males) undergoing expanded thymectomy at our hospital between 2009-2012. They were divided into 3 group of eutherapeutic (clinical relative score ≥ 50%), invalid (clinical relative score ≤ 25%) and improved (25% < clinical relative score <50%). Control group was composed of 17 cases of healthy subjects without immune system related disease. Flow cytometry was employed to detect the numbers of CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD4⁺ CD45RO⁺, CD8⁺ CD45RO⁺, CD4⁺ CD45RO⁺ CCR7⁺, CD8⁺ CD45RO⁺ CCR7⁺, CD4⁺ CD45RO⁺ CD44(high) and CD8⁺ CD45RO⁺ CD44(high) T cells in PBMCs of 27 MG patients and 17 normal controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As compared with healthy controls, the abnormal rates of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells were significantly higher in patients (P < 0.05), the number of CD4⁺ CD45RO⁺ CCR7⁺ T cells was significantly higher [(9.9 ± 5.5)% vs (6.6 ± 3.0)%, P = 0.012], the number of CD4⁺ CD45RO⁺ CD44(high) T cells was significantly higher [(6.8 ± 2.4)% vs (5.0 ± 3.0)%, P = 0.04] and the number of CD8⁺ CD45RO⁺ CCR7⁺ T cells was also significantly higher (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MG patients had immune disorders. And increased number of memory T cells and their activation may be pathogenesis of MG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. Email: ranliuz@163.com.
authors.forename: Weibin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
authors.forename: Huiyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008297:Male; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis