Treatment of experimental myasthenia gravis with total lymphoid irradiation

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0090-1229(88)90154-7· OSTI ID:6908506

de Silva, S; Blum, J E; McIntosh, K R; Order, S; Drachman, D B

Total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) has been reported to be effective in the immunosuppressive treatment of certain human and experimental autoimmune disorders. We have investigated the effects of TLI in Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) produced by immunization with purified torpedo acetylcholine receptor (AChR). The radiation is given in 17 divided fractions of 200 rad each, and nonlymphoid tissues are protected by lead shielding. This technique suppresses the immune system, while minimizing side effects, and permits the repopulation of the immune system by the patient's own bone marrow cells. Our results show that TLI treatment completely prevented the primary antibody response to immunization with torpedo AChR, it rapidly abolished the ongoing antibody response in established EAMG, and it suppressed the secondary (anamnestic) response to a boost of AChR. No EAMG animals died during TLI treatment, compared with six control animals that died of EAMG. TLI produces powerful and prompt immunosuppression and may eventually prove useful in the treatment of refractory human myasthenia gravis.

• Research Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6908506
• Journal Information: Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol.; (United States), Vol. 48:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
IMMUNE SYSTEM DISEASES
RADIOTHERAPY
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
IRRADIATION
ACETYLCHOLINE
ANTIBODY FORMATION
FRACTIONATED IRRADIATION
IMMUNOSUPPRESSION
RATS
RECEPTORS
AMINES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ANIMALS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
DISEASES
DRUGS
ESTERS
MAMMALS
MEDICINE
MEMBRANE PROTEINS
NEUROREGULATORS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS
PROTEINS
QUATERNARY COMPOUNDS
RADIOLOGY
RODENTS
THERAPY
VERTEBRATES
550603* - Medicine- External Radiation in Therapy- (1980-)