Myasthenia gravis thymus: complement vulnerability of epithelial and myoid cells, complement attack on them, and correlations with autoantibody status.

Journal article

In early-onset myasthenia gravis, the thymus contains lymph node-type infiltrates with frequent acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-specific germinal centers. Our recent evidence/two-step hypothesis implicates hyperplastic medullary thymic epithelial cells (expressing isolated AChR subunits) in provoking infiltration and thymic myoid cells (with intact AChR) in germinal center formation. To test this, we screened for complement attack in a wide range of typical generalized myasthenia patients. Rega...

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Authors: Leite, M; Jones, M; Ströbel, P; Marx, A; Gold, R

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: American journal of pathology
• Volume: 171
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 893-905
• Publication date: 2007-09-01
• DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2007.070240
• EISSN: 1525-2191
• ISSN: 0002-9440
• Language: English
• Keywords: Autoantibodies; Myasthenia Gravis; Antigens, CD; Animals; Thymus Gland; Receptors, Complement; Epithelial Cells; Humans; Complement System Proteins