Changes in inflammatory cytokine networks in myasthenia gravis

• DOI: 10.1038/srep25886
• Publication Date: 2016-05-13T09:15:16Z
• Authors: Akiyuki Uzawa; Tetsuya Kanai; Naoki Kawaguchi; Fumiko Oda; Keiichi Himuro; Satoshi Kuwabara
• Keywords: Pathophysiology; Pathogenesis; Proinflammatory cytokine

Abstract Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmunological inflammatory disorder of the neuromuscular junction. Inflammation could be a key player for understanding pathogenesis MG. We measured serum levels 24 cytokines in 43 patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive MG and 25 healthy controls. In MG, proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), IL-19, IL-20, IL-28A IL-35 were significantly increased as compared controls (p < 0.05). Among them, decreased after treatment clinical subtype analyses, APRIL IL-20 late-onset thymoma-associated 0.01). The results present study demonstrate both anti-inflammatory are upregulated reflecting importance cytokine-mediated inflammation its regulation pathophysiology.