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T-Lymphocyte Interferon- Receptor Binding in Patients With Myasthenia Gravis
Paolo Bongioanni, MD, PhD;
Roberta Ricciardi, MD;
Maria Rosaria Romano, BS
Arch Neurol. 1999;56:933-938.
Objective To investigate some aspects of T-lymphocyte–dependent immune function in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG).
Design Assay interferon- binding on T lymphocytes from patients with MG compared with healthy controls.
Setting The study was performed on ambulatory patients in a tertiary care center, where MG was diagnosed according to Osserman criteria.
Patients Thirty-six patients with MG (19 women and 17 men; mean±SD age, 50.2±17.6 years) were selected consecutively. They were assigned to groups 1, 2A, and 2B. Ten patients were treated with pyridostigmine bromide alone, 18 were treated with pyridostigmine and corticosteroids, and 8 were not yet treated. Thirty-six age- and sex-matched healthy nonsmoking subjects formed the control group.
Results A significant (P<.001) decrease of T-lymphocyte interferon- binding was found in patients with MG compared with healthy controls (483±14 vs 734±13 receptors [SEM] per cell), whereas the ligand-receptor affinity values [SEM] were similar in the 2 groups (0.9±0.05 and 1.0±0.07 nmol/L).
Conclusion These data indicate a persistent activation of the immune system in patients with MG, since reduced cell surface interferon- receptors seem to be related with enhanced T-lymphocyte immune function.
From the Department of Neurosciences, Section of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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