Autoreactivity Between Lymphocytes and Thymus Cells in Myasthenia Gravis

Abstract
• Thymus cell preparations from four of five myasthenia gravis patients with thymic hyperplasia and from one additional patient with thymic involution stimulated autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes. No autostimulation was observed in two patients with thymoma. Autostimulation was associated with an increase in the fraction of B lymphocytes in the thymus.