Journal
AUTOIMMUNITY
Volume 48, Issue 4, Pages 201-207Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.3109/08916934.2014.992517
Keywords
Autoantibody; B cell; cytokine; myasthenia gravis
Categories
Funding
- Turkish Research Council [TUBITAK-106S223]
- Istanbul University Research Fund (BAP)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
B cells from myasthenia gravis (MG) patients with autoantibodies (Aab) against acetylcholine receptor (AChR), muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) or with no detectable Aab were investigated as cytokine producing cells in this study. B cells were evaluated for memory phenotypes and expressions of IL-10, IL-6 and IL-12A. Induced productions of IL-10, IL-6, IL-12p40, TNF-alpha and LT from isolated B cells in vitro were measured by immunoassays. MG patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment had higher proportions of memory B cells compared with healthy controls and untreated patients. With CD40 stimulation MG patients produced significantly lower levels of IL-10, IL-6. With CD40 and B cell receptor stimulation of B cells, TNF-alpha production also decreased in addition to these cytokines. The lower levels of these cytokine productions were not related to treatment. Our results confirm a disturbance of B cell subpopulations in MG subgroups on immunosuppressive treatment. B cell derived IL-10, IL-6 and TNF-alpha are down-regulated in MG, irrespective of different antibody productions. Ineffective cytokine production by B cells may be a susceptibility factor in dysregulation of autoimmune Aab production.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available