[Expression of CD45RA and CD45RO thymocyte subset and related cytokine in patients with myasthenia gravis].

To study the relationship between the abnormal differentiation thymocytes and the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG). The gene expression of some ILs, IFN and their receptors was examined by cDNA array. The percentage of CD45RO(+) and D45RA(+) thymocytes was measured by flow cytometry (FCM). The expression and distribution of CD45RA and CD45RO in the samples of thymus tissues were observed by immunohistochemistry. The levels of IL-1R, IL-4R, IFNgammaR1, IFNgammaR2, IL-6 and IL-8 in the patients with MG were lower than those of normal controls and there were significant differences between them. But the levels of IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-7, IFN-alpha, IFN-beta and IFN-gamma showed no significant changes in patients with MG in comparison with normal controls. The percentage of CD56(+) thymocytes in MG patients 0.56+/-0.33 was significantly lower than that in normal controls(1.78+/-0.69).The CD45RO(+) and CD1a(+) in MG patients increased more significantly those in normal controls. The immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR showed the same result. Aberrant transformation from CD45R0(+)T to CD45RA(+)T has been found in the development of thymocytes of the patients with MG.