title: Serum interleukin-27 expression in patients with myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Myasthenia gravis (MG)(1) is an autoimmune disease directed at the neuromuscular junction, and cytokines are thought to contribute to its immunopathogenesis. Interleukin-27 (IL-27)(2) plays a complex and pleiotropic role in immune responses associated with T helper cells. To assess the role of IL-27 in MG, we determined serum IL-27 levels in MG patients (n=32) compared to healthy controls (n=50). The median serum IL-27 level was significantly higher in MG patients (35.947pg/mL) than in controls (19.885pg/mL). Furthermore, serum IL-27 was significantly higher in early onset MG. This study suggests the possibility that IL-27 might contribute to MG pathogenesis or immunoregulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Neurology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ha-Neul
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: bcsuh@skku.edu.
authors.forename: Bum Chun
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: ycchoi@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Young-Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; C464565:MYDGF protein, human
keywords: Interleukin-27; Myasthenia gravis; Pathogenesis