Increased costimulatory molecule expression of thymic and peripheral B cells and a sensitivity to IL-21 in myasthenia
Mehmet Hocaoğlu1, Hacer Durmuş2, Berker Özkan3
1Department of Physiology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Abstract:
B cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis with anti-acetylcholine antibodies (AChR+ MG) by co-stimulation or selection of T cells. In this study, we investigated costimulatory molecules on B cells in the blood and in the thymus as well as by TLR9 and IL-21 stimulations in AChR+ MG patients with or without immunosuppressive treatment and controls. CD80 and CD86 expression on B cells was increased in the peripheral blood and in the thymus of untreated patients. CD86 was further amplified by IL-21. A role for activated B cells, active thymic environment and IL-21 is implicated in MG.
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