Thymus cells in myasthenia gravis selectively enhance production of anti-acetylcholine-receptor antibody by autologous blood lymphocytes

Journal Article · Thu Nov 26 00:00:00 EST 1981 · New Engl. J. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198111263052203· OSTI ID:5572013

Newsom-Davis, J; Willcox, N; Calder, L

We investigated the role of the thymus in 16 patients with myasthenia gravis without thymoma by studying the production of anti-acetylcholine-receptor antibody by thymic and blood lymphocytes cultured alone or together. In 10 responders (with the highest receptor-antibody titers in their plasma), cultured thymic cells spontaneously produced measurable receptor antibody. Receptor-antibody production by autologous blood lymphocytes was enhanced by the addition of responder's thymic cells, irradiated to abrogate antibody production and suppression (P<0.01). This enhancement was greater and more consistent than that by pokeweed mitogen; it depended on viable thymic cells, appeared to be selective for receptor antibody, and correlated with the ratio of thymic helper (OKT4-positive or OKT4+) to suppressor (OKT8+) T cells (P<0.01). These results suggest that myasthenic thymus contains cell-bound acetylcholine-receptor-like material or specific T cells (or both) that can aid receptor-antibody production. This may be relevant to the benefits of thymectomy in myasthenia and to the breakdown in self-tolerance in this and other autoimmune diseases.

• Research Organization: Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, U.K.
• OSTI ID: 5572013
• Journal Information: New Engl. J. Med.; (United States), Vol. 305:22
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ANTIBODIES
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
IMMUNE REACTIONS
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
RECEPTORS
THYMUS
IRRADIATION
ACETYLCHOLINE
CELL CULTURES
DISEASES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
LYMPHOCYTES
MUSCLES
THYMECTOMY
AMINES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ANIMAL CELLS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DATA
DRUGS
ESTERS
FUNCTIONS
INFORMATION
LEUKOCYTES
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
NEUROREGULATORS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS
QUATERNARY COMPOUNDS
SOMATIC CELLS
SURGERY
560120* - Radiation Effects on Biochemicals
Cells
&amp; Tissue Culture
550600 - Medicine