Back to Search
Start Over
High frequencies of circulating Tfh-Th17 cells in myasthenia gravis patients.
- Source :
-
Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology [Neurol Sci] 2017 Sep; Vol. 38 (9), pp. 1599-1608. Date of Electronic Publication: 2017 Jun 03. - Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- Recent studies show that the frequencies of circulating follicullar helper T (cTfh) cells are significantly higher in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients compared with healthy controls (HC). And, they are positively correlated with levels of serum anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody (anti-AchR Ab). It is unclear whether cTfh cell subset frequencies are altered and what role they play in MG patients. In order to clarify this, we examined the frequencies of cTfh cell counterparts, their subsets, and circulating plasmablasts in MG patients by flow cytometry. We determined the concentrations of serum anti-AChR Ab by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We assayed the function of cTfh cell subsets by flow cytometry and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We found higher frequencies of cTfh cell counterparts, cTfh-Th17 cells, and plasmablasts in MG patients compared with HC. The frequencies of cTfh cell counterparts and cTfh-Th17 cells were positively correlated with the frequencies of plasmablasts and the concentrations of anti-AChR Ab in MG patients. Functional assays showed that activated cTfh-Th17 cells highly expressed key molecular features of Tfh cells including ICOS, PD-1, and IL-21. Results indicate that, just like cTfh cell counterparts, cTfh-Th17 cells may play a role in the immunopathogenesis and the production of anti-AChR Ab of MG.
- Subjects :
- Adolescent
Adult
CD4 Antigens blood
Female
Humans
Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein blood
Interleukins blood
Male
Middle Aged
Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor blood
Receptors, CCR6 blood
Receptors, CXCR3 blood
Receptors, CXCR5 blood
Young Adult
Autoantibodies blood
Myasthenia Gravis blood
Myasthenia Gravis immunology
Receptors, Cholinergic immunology
T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer physiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1590-3478
- Volume :
- 38
- Issue :
- 9
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 28578482
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-017-3009-3