Background: In myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, the dysfunction of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (CD4+CD25+ Tregs)\nmay be one of the important pathogenesis of MG. Currently, the role of IFN-Ã?³ in autoimmune diseases is still controversial\nand needs further exploration. In this study, whether IFN-Ã?³ can induce CD4+CD25âË?â?? T cells into CD4+CD25+ Tregs in MG in\nvitro was investigated systematically.\nMethods: Flow cytometry was used to analyze the number of CD4+CD25+ Tregs in MG patients and healthy controls\n(HCs). CD4+CD25âË?â?? T cells were separated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of MG patients and HCs, and the\nCD4+CD25+ Tregs were separated from HCs by Magnetic cell sorting (MACS). IFN-Ã?³ with different concentrations\nwas used to stimulate CD4+CD25âË?â?? T cells. The percentages of the induced CD4+CD25+ T cells were detected by flow\ncytometry. The FoxP3 expression of the induced CD4+CD25+ T cells in MG patients was detected by real-time PCR at\nmRNA level. The induced CD4+CD25+ T cells were co-cultured with autologous CD4+CD25âË?â?? T cells to estimate the\nsuppressive ability of the induced CD4+CD25+ T cells to CD4+CD25âË?â?? T cells.\nResults: It shows the percentages of CD4+CD25+ T cells among CD4+ T cells have no significant difference in MG\npatients compared with those in HCs. There is also merely no difference in the percentages of CD4+CD25+ T cells\nbetween thymectomized and non-thymectomized MG patients. CD4+CD25âË?â?? T cells can be induced to CD4+CD25+ T\ncells after applying IFN-Ã?³ in MG patients and HCs. The proportion and FoxP3 expression of the induced CD4+CD25+ T\ncells are the highest at the level of 40 ng/ml IFN-Ã?³, and the suppressive function of the CD4+CD25+ T cells induced by\n40 ng/ml IFN-Ã?³ is the strongest in MG patients.\nConclusions: This subject will further reveal the role of IFN-Ã?³ in the pathogenesis of MG from a new perspective. It will\nalso provide the scientific basis for the clinical targeted therapy of MG.
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