Heterogeneity of immunopathological features of AChR/MuSK autoantibody-negative myasthenia gravis

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• 作者：Akio Hayashi ; Hiroyuki Shiono ; Mitsuhiro Ohta ; Kiyoe Ohta ; Meinoshin Okumura ; Yoshiki Sawa
• 关键词：Myasthenia gravis ; Acetylcholine receptor ; Muscle-specific tyrosine kinase ; Germinal center ; Thymectomy ; Flow cytometry
• 刊名：Journal of Neuroimmunology
• 出版年：2007
• 出版时间：September 2007
• 年：2007
• 卷：189
• 期：1-2
• 页码：163-168
• 全文大小：687 K

文摘

We compared B cells and germinal centers in thymus from myasthenia gravis (MG) patients either with anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) autoantibodies or with neither anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) nor anti-AChR (seronegative MG: SN-MG). The numbers and frequencies of total and germinal center B cells varied in the SN-MG thymi, some of which were normal/atrophic. Others were clearly hyperplastic, their B cell parameters overlapping with those in AChR-positive MG, which implicates the thymus in pathogenesis. Indeed, some SN-MG patients apparently benefited from thymectomy, which should be considered a management option.