Monoclonal antibody analysis of blood T‐cell subsets in myasthenia gravis

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Abstract
Analysis of peripheral blood T‐cell subsets and B‐cells in patients with myasthenia gravis was performed using monoclonal antibodies and antibody against surface immunoglobulins (SIg) in an immunofluorescent technique. We found a modest but significant decrease in percentages of OKT3‐ and OKT8‐positive cells (thought to represent total T‐cells and T‐suppressor/cytotoxic cells, respectively) in myasthenics as a group. The percentage of OKT3‐positive cells was significantly decreased in patients with late‐onset disease (>35 years old), while the percentage of OKT8‐positive cells was significantly reduced in those with early‐onset myasthenia (<35 years old). Both thymectomized and nonthymectomized patients exhibited a decreased percentages of SIg‐positive cells in myasthenics and controls. Our results suggest that only modest imbalances of circulating immunoregulatory lymphocytes occur in myasthenia gravis; however, it is conceivable that the small differences observed in this study may reflect pathogenetically important reductions in a functionally distinct lymphocyte subpopulation.