Synthesis of anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies by CD5- B cells from peripheral blood of myasthenia gravis patients |
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Authors: | Fedor Heidenreich Tudor Jovin |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine University, Moorenstrasse 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany;(2) Present address: Department of Neurology, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, D-50362 Hannover, Germany |
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Abstract: | An increased frequency of CD5+ B cells (or, according to a new nomenclature, B 1 cells) has been detected in the peripheral blood of a proportion of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), as in some other autoimmune diseases. To elucidate the pathogenic significance of this B-cell subset in myasthenia gravis, mononuclear cells from the peripheral blood of six MG patients were separated into T and B lymphocytes by a magnetic cell separation procedure employing superparamagnetic microbeads (MACS). Subsequently, the B-cell fraction was depleted of CD5+ B cells in a second separation. The resulting purified CD5– B-cell fraction was cultured alone or with the addition of autologous T cells. Anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) synthesis by CD5– B cells in cultures with T cells was significantly increased by pokeweed mitogen (176 ±130 fmol/ml per week/2 × 105 B cells) compared with unfractionated cells (75 ± 101) or CD5– B cells alone (19 ± 4). These results demonstrate that in MG anti-AChR are synthesized, at least in part, by CD5– B cells which are dependent on T cells. Although this does not exclude the existence of AChR-specific CD5+ B cells, it provides evidence against a pivotal role of this B-cell subset in anti-AChR synthesis. |
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Keywords: | Autoimmunity Myasthenia gravis B-cell subsets CD5+ B cells B1 cells |
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