Increased Proportion of Tc17 and Th17 Cells and Their Significant Reduction after Thymectomy May Be Related to Disease Progression in Myasthenia Gravis

Abstract

Objective: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease mediated by autoantibodies against the neuromuscular junction. The thymus has an important role in the pathogenesis of MG because most patients have thymic pathology, and thymectomy (TE) can reduce the severity of the disease.

Methods: In this study, the frequency of Th17 and Tc17 cells was studied in 12 MG patients (pre-TE and 6 months post-TE) and in 12 healthy controls (HC).

Results: The frequency of Tc17 cells in the pre-TE patients was significantly higher than in the HC (p < 0.05), and after TE, these cells had significantly decreased compared to before TE (p < 0.05). The frequency of Th17 cells in pre-TE patients was significantly higher than in the HC (p < 0.05), and after TE, these cells had significantly decreased compared to before TE (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Our findings indicated a possible role of Tc17 and Th17 in MG pathogenesis.

Keywords: Myasthenia gravis; Tc17; Th17; Thymectomy.