title: Changes in inflammatory cytokine networks in myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmunological inflammatory disorder of the neuromuscular junction. Inflammation could be a key player for understanding the pathogenesis of MG. We measured the serum levels of 24 inflammatory cytokines in 43 patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive MG and 25 healthy controls. In patients with MG, serum levels of a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), IL-19, IL-20, IL-28A and IL-35 were significantly increased as compared with controls (p < 0.05). Among them, IL-20, IL-28A and IL-35 were significantly decreased after treatment (p < 0.05). In clinical subtype analyses, APRIL and IL-20 were increased in patients with late-onset MG and IL-28A levels were increased in patients with thymoma-associated MG compared with healthy controls (p < 0.01). The results of the present study demonstrate both anti-inflammatory and inflammatory cytokines are upregulated in MG, reflecting the importance of cytokine-mediated inflammation and its regulation in MG pathophysiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiyuki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uzawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.|Department of Neurology, Neurology Chiba Clinic, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Himuro
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuwabara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D053300:Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; C114631:TNFSF13 protein, human; D053300:Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13