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T-lymphocyte interferon-gamma receptor binding in patients with myasthenia gravis
P Bongioanni1, R Ricciardi, M R Romano
1Department of Neurosciences, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy. bongioanni@sssup1.sssup.it
Objective:
To investigate some aspects of T-lymphocyte-dependent immune function in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG).
Design:
Assay interferon-gamma 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-gamma 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-gamma receptors seem to be related with enhanced T-lymphocyte immune function.