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The in vitro effects of D ‐penicillamine upon anti‐achr production by thymic and peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with myasthenia gravis
Author(s) -
Scadding Glenis K.,
Calder Linda,
NewsomDavis John
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.880060906
Subject(s) - myasthenia gravis , penicillamine , pokeweed mitogen , stimulation , acetylcholine receptor , in vitro , endocrinology , medicine , immunology , antibody , lymphocyte , chemistry , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , receptor , biochemistry
D ‐Penicillamine added to lymphocyte cultures from myasthenia gravis patients infrequently and inconsistently stimulated anti‐AChR production. This usually occurred in the presence of pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and often only at a single concentration of D ‐penicillamine which varied among patients. The change was typically paralleled by an increase in total IgG production of similar magnitude, suggesting that the effect was nonspecific. D ‐penicillamine did not affect AChR expression in cultured thymic adherent cells. These data provide no evidence that penicillamine induces myasthenia gravis by direct stimulation of anti‐AChR antibody‐producing cells.