T-lymphocyte interferon-gamma receptor binding in patients with myasthenia gravis.

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.

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