Analysis of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand and receptors and implications in thymus biology and myasthenia gravis

作者：Kanatli Irem; Akkaya Bahar; Uysal Hilmi; Kahraman Sevim; Sanlioglu Ahter Dilsad^*

来源：Neuromuscular Disorders, 2017, 27(2): 128-135.

DOI：10.1016/j.nmd.2016.10.012

• Myasthenia Gravis
• Thymoma
• Thymic hyperplasia
• TRAIL
• Medical thymectomy

Myasthenia Gravis is an autoantibody-mediated, neuromuscular junction disease, and is usually associated with thymic abnormalities presented as thymic tumors (similar to 10%) or hyperplastic thymus (similar to 65%). The exact role of thymus in Myasthenia Gravis development is not clear, yet many patients benefit from thymectomy. The apoptotic ligand TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand is thought to be involved in the regulation of thymocyte counts, although conflicting results are reported. We investigated differential expression profiles of TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand and its transmembrane receptors, Nuclear Factor-kB activation status, and apoptotic cell counts in healthy thymic tissue and pathological thymus from Myasthenia Gravis patients. All tissues expressed TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand and its receptors, with hyperplastic tissue having the highest expression levels of death receptors DR4 and DR5. No detectable Nuclear Factor-kB activation, at least via the canonical Protein Kinase A-mediated p65 Ser276 phosphorylation, was evident in any of the tissues studied. Apoptotic cell counts were higher in MG-associated tissue compared to the normal thymus. Possible use of the TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand within the concept of an apoptotic ligand-mediated medical thymectomy in thymoma-or thymic hyperplasia-associated Myasthenia Gravis is also discussed.

• 出版日期2017-2