High Frequency of Tc22 and Th22 Cells in Myasthenia Gravis Patients and Their Significant Reduction after Thymectomy

Behrouz Robat-Jazi; Mina Hosseini; Vahid Shaygannejad; Shahriar Nafissi; Abbas Rezaei; Marjan Mansourain; Omid Mirmosayyeb; Nafiseh Esmaeil

doi:10.1159/000490855

High Frequency of Tc22 and Th22 Cells in Myasthenia Gravis Patients and Their Significant Reduction after Thymectomy

Neuroimmunomodulation. 2018;25(2):80-88. doi: 10.1159/000490855. Epub 2018 Aug 2.

Authors

Behrouz Robat-Jazi¹, Mina Hosseini¹, Vahid Shaygannejad², Shahriar Nafissi³, Abbas Rezaei¹, Marjan Mansourain⁴, Omid Mirmosayyeb⁵, Nafiseh Esmaeil¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
² Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran.
³ Department of Neurology, Iranian Center for Neurological Research, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁵ Medical Student Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

PMID: 30071533
DOI: 10.1159/000490855

Abstract

Objectives: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease accompanied by a thymic pathology and in most patients thymectomy (TE) is used as the therapeutic approach. Both B and T cells play an important role in MG pathogenesis.

Methods: Twelve pre- and post-TE MG patients and 12 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. The mean percentages of Th22 and Tc22 cells were evaluated in MG patients (before and 6 months after TE) and HCs.

Results: The mean percentage of Tc22 cells in pre-TE patients was significantly higher than in HCs (p < 0.05), and after TE Tc22 cells significantly decreased compared to pre-TE (p < 0.05). The frequency of Th22 cells in pre-TE MG patients was not significantly different from HCs, but after TE Th22 cells were significantly decreased compared to pre-TE (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest a possible role of Th22 and Tc22 in MG pathogenesis.

Keywords: Myasthenia gravis; Tc22 cells; Th22 cells; Thymectomy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Cell Count / trends
Female
Humans
Male
Myasthenia Gravis / blood*
Myasthenia Gravis / diagnosis
Myasthenia Gravis / surgery*
T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / metabolism*
Thymectomy / trends*