Abstract
The thymus is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG), an autoimmune disease characterized by skeletal muscle weakness. However, its role remains a mystery. The studies described represent our efforts to determine how intrathymic expression of the neuromuscular type of acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) is involved in the immunopathogenesis of MG. We review our work characterizing the expression of the alpha subunit of nAChR (nAChRalpha) in the thymus and advance a new hypothesis that examines the intrathymic expression of this autoantigen in disease pathogenesis.
Publication types
-
Comparative Study
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
-
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
-
Review
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Cytokines / pharmacology
-
Disease Models, Animal
-
Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
-
Humans
-
Inflammation / virology
-
Leukemia Virus, Murine / pathogenicity
-
Mice
-
Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
-
Myasthenia Gravis / complications
-
Myasthenia Gravis / etiology*
-
Myasthenia Gravis / immunology
-
Protein Isoforms / biosynthesis
-
Protein Isoforms / genetics
-
Receptors, Cholinergic / biosynthesis*
-
Receptors, Cholinergic / genetics
-
Thymoma / complications
-
Thymoma / immunology
-
Thymus Gland / metabolism*
Substances
-
Cytokines
-
Protein Isoforms
-
Receptors, Cholinergic