Interleukin‐10 producing‐B cells and their association with responsiveness to rituximab in myasthenia gravis |
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| Authors: | Feng Sun MD Shafeeq S. Ladha MD Li Yang MD PhD Qiang Liu MD PhD Samuel Xiang‐Yu Shi BS Ning Su MD Roberto Bomprezzi MD PhD Fu‐Dong Shi MD PhD |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, , Tianjin, 300052 China;2. Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, , Phoenix, Arizona, USA |
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| Abstract: | ![]()
Introduction: A subset of regulatory B cells in humans and mice has been defined functionally by their ability to produce interleukin (IL)‐10. We characterized IL‐10‐producing B (B10) cells in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and correlated them with disease activity and responsiveness to rituximab therapy. Methods: Frequencies of B10 cells from MG patients and healthy controls were monitored by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS). Results: MG patients had fewer B10 cells than controls, which was associated with more severe disease status. Moreover, patients who responded well to rituximab therapy exhibited rapid repopulation of B10 cells, whereas in patients who did not respond well to rituximab, B10 cell repopulation was delayed. The kinetics of B10 cells were related to the responsiveness to rituximab in MG. Conclusions: We have characterized a specific subset of B10 cells in MG patients which may serve as a marker for disease activity and responsiveness to immune therapy. Muscle Nerve 49:487–494, 2014 |
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| Keywords: | B10 cells MG FACS MGFA Rituximab |
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