Analysis of the T Lymphocyte Subsets in the Peripheral Blood of Patients with Myasthenia Gravis

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 16(1); 1998 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 1998;16(1): 49-54.

중증근무력증 환자의 말초 혈액내 T 림프구 분획의 변화

최철희+§,, 최인홍+, 김우경§, 선우일남§

연세대학교 의과대학 신경과학교실§, 미생물학교실+

Analysis of the T Lymphocyte Subsets in the Peripheral Blood of Patients with Myasthenia Gravis

Chulhee Choi, M.D.+§, In-Hong Choi, M.D.+, Woo-kyung Kim, M.D.§, Il Nam Sunwoo, M.D.§

Department of Neurology·Department of Microbiology, Institute for Immunology and Immunological diseases+,College of Medicine Yonsei University

Abstract

It is known that the activated peripheral T lymphocytes are increased in patients with autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and autoimmune thyroiditis, but not in the patients with myasthenia gravis on previous studies. We investigated the subsets of T cells in peripheral blood of the patients with myasthenia gravis using flow cytometric analysis. Forty-three patients of myasthenia gravis who were not on steroid or other immunosuppressants were chosen, and thirty-six age-matched healthy persons were evaluated as controls. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients and controls were stained with FITC or PE-conjugated monoclonal antibodies to several surface molecules expressed on T cells within 6 hours after collection. The samples were analysed by flow cytometry within 24 hours. In patients with myasthenia gravis, the expressions of DR and CD25 molecules on the T lymphocytes were increased significantly compared to those of the control group. The expression of CD25 was increased on CD4+ T cells, but not on CD8+ T cells . The expression of DR molecule was increased on CD8+ T cells, but not on CD4+ T cells. Therefore we suggest that the activated T cells are increased in myasthenia gravis and CD25 surface markers on CD4+ T cells may be a more sensitive indicator of immune status. Key words : Myasthenia gravis; T lymphocytes; DR molecule; Interleukin 2 receptor; Flow cytometry