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Anti‐Idiotypic T Cells in Early Stages of Myasthenia Gravis: Increase in the Number and Prevalence Correlated to Clinical Improvement in Patients
Author(s) -
YI Q.,
PIRSKANEN R.,
LEFVERT A. K.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3083.1996.d01-356.x
Subject(s) - idiotype , myasthenia gravis , immunology , immune system , antibody , autoantibody , immunity , t cell , autoimmune disease , medicine , biology , monoclonal antibody
An idiotypic network involving T and B cells bearing complementary structures has been suggested to be important for the regulation of immune response in healthy and disease situations. A previous study by the authors has demonstrated the presence of a relatively higher concentration of anti‐idiotypic antibodies than of idiotypic antibodies in early myasthenia gravis (MG), suggesting that the development of an anti‐idiotypic immunity is important in early MG. The present study was conducted to examine the cellular components of the idiotypic network in the same situation. T and B cells reactive to acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or to a disease‐related idiotype and to an anti‐idiotype were analysed in seven patients with early MG at various times after the start of the disease. The results show that a significant increase in the number of idiotype‐reactive interferon‐γ‐secreting T cells and a shift from AChR‐reactive to idiotype‐ and/or anti‐idiotype‐reactive T cells in the patients at 6 month follow‐up were noted. Such changes seem to correlate to a clinical improvement in the patients. The enhanced anti‐idiotypic T‐cell response and the clinical improvement in the patients may speak in favour of a role for the anti‐idiotypic immunity in controlling the autoimmune response in MG, i.e., down‐regulating autoantibody‐producing B cells and idiotypic (AChR‐specific) T cells. Thus, an immune intervention towards the enhancement of the anti‐idiotypic immunity in patients might be a rewarding approach. Further studies with regard to cell interactions and immune regulations in the network are warranted.