Abstract
Patients with myasthenia gravis have a high prevalence of acetylcholine receptor-specific T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. Our earlier study shows that these T lymphocytes are stimulated to secrete interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-2 in response to the autoantigen. Such stimulated T cells may be subdivided into different subsets according to the pattern of cytokine production. In the present study we have investigated the subpopulations of cells by analyzing their IL-4, IFN-γ and IL-2 secretion pattern. Autoantigen-stimulated IL-4 secretion was found in 55% of the patients, IFN-γ secretion in 86% and IL-2 secretion in 72%. T lymphocytes from all patients who responded with increased IL-2 secretion also showed increased IFN-γ secretion. Stimulated IL-4 secretion was detected both in the presence and absence of stimulated IFN-γ secretion. Depletion of monocytes/ macrophages from peripheral blood mononuclear cell preparation and treatment of the cells with a mouse anti-human HLA-DR antibody abolished the secretion of IFN-γ and IL-4. There were positive correlations between the numbers of IFN-γ and IL-2-secreting T cells and the numbers of B cells secreting antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor. Our results show that acetylcholine receptor-stimulated T lymphocytes secrete IL-4, IFN-γ and/or IL-2. This T cell response is major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-restricted and monocyte/ macrophage-dependent. Our study indicates that both Th1/Th2 or Th0 subpopulations of the T lymphocytes are involved in the autoimmune response in myasthenia gravis.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 177-186 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Journal of Neuroimmunology |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1994 |
Keywords
- Acetylcholine receptor
- B lymphocytes
- Interferon-γ
- Interleukin-2
- Interleukin-4
- Myasthenia gravis
- T lymphocytes
- Th1/Th2 subsets
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology
- Neurology
- Clinical Neurology