Premium
Effect of thymectomy on blood T‐cell subsets in myasthenia gravis
Author(s) -
Cox Adele,
Lisak Robert P.,
Skolnik Paul,
Zweiman Burton
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410190314
Subject(s) - myasthenia gravis , thymectomy , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , medicine , immunology , t cell , peripheral blood , inducer , cell , blood cell , biology , immune system , in vitro , biochemistry , genetics , gene
We studied peripheral blood mononuclear T‐cell subsets in 23 patients with myasthenia gravis who had undergone thymectomy at least one year before study. An increase in the T4 + /T8 + (helper‐inducer/suppressor‐cytotoxic cell) ratio was seen, similar to that previously reported in nonthymectomized patients with myasthenia gravis. Six patients were studied before and after thymectomy and no consistent alteration in the pattern of T‐cell subsets was detected. We were not able to demonstrate a quantitative effect of thymectomy on peripheral blood mononuclear T‐cell subsets in patients with myasthenia gravis.