Comparative Analysis of Thymic and Blood Treg in Myasthenia Gravis: Thymic Epithelial Cells Contribute to Thymic Immunoregulatory Defects.

ABSTRACT: The thymus is involved in autoimmune Myasthenia gravis (MG) associated with anti-acetylcholine (AChR) antibodies. In MG, thymic regulatory T cells (Treg) are not efficiently suppressive, and conventional T cells (Tconv) are resistant to suppression. To better understand the specific role of the thymus in MG, we compared the phenotype and function of peripheral and thymic Treg and Tconv from controls and MG patients. Suppression assays with thymic or peripheral CD4 + T cells showed that the functional impairment in MG was more pronounced in the thymus than in the periphery. Phenotypic analysis of Treg showed a significant reduction of resting and effector Treg in the thymus but not in the periphery of MG patients. CD31, a marker lost with excessive immunoreactivity, was significantly reduce

SUBMITTER: Truffault F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7218102 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature