Thymus Cells in Myasthenia Gravis Selectively Enhance Production of Anti-Acetylcholine-Receptor Antibody by Autologous Blood Lymphocytes

Abstract
We investigated the role of the thymus in 16 patients with myasthenia gravis without thymoma by studying the production of anti-acetylcholine-receptor antibody by thymic and blood lymphocytes cultured alone or together. In 10 responders (with the highest receptor-antibody titers in their plasma), cultured thymic cells spontaneously produced measurable receptor antibody.