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Lai et al. Imbalance of NK and B cell subsets in GMG exacerbation

subclasses were similar among the control thymuses, Concept, statistical analysis, and manuscript editing:
hyperplasic thymuses and thymomas; suggesting L.X. Li
that circulating NK cells may have migrated to sites Literature search, experimental studies, manuscript
of inflammation. In our study, we discovered that the preparation, and manuscript editing: X.Y. Lai
percentage of NK cells was increased significantly in Clinical studies, and data acquisition: M.C. Gui, J. Lin,
the patients in remission stage, but nearly unchanged Y. Li, X. Luo, X.Y. Lai
in exacerbation stage and in PE with infections.
The data suggest that NK cells may protect against Financial support and sponsorship
autoimmune response, especially in patients with This study was supported by a grant from Natural
infections; yet, the mechanism for the increase in NK Science Foundation of China to Dr. Bu (No. 81271320);
cells is unknown. These findings are consistent with the Outstanding Leaders Training Program of Pudong
Suzuki et al., which suggested that NK cells in the Health Bureau of Shanghai (No. PWR12014-05);
[55]
blood of patients at exacerbation stage may transfer the Key Specialty Construction Project of Shanghai
to the neuromuscular junction, where immune cells Municipal Health Bureau (No. ZK2015B16); the
obviously accumulate. At the stage of remission, NK 100-Talents Program of the Shanghai Municipal Health
cells might then transfer back to peripheral blood. It Bureau (No. 2017BR051).
will be very interesting to compare the NK cell density
in the neuromuscular junction among the patients in Conflicts of interest
different stages. However, how the NK cells migrate There are no conflicts of interest.
at different stages and how NK cells are involved in
the pathogenesis of MG remains to be fully elucidated. Patient consent
Based on our initial study, we also suggest that All the participants signed the informed consent prior
developing approaches that restore and boost the to the enrollment.
activity of NK cells may improve the MG symptoms
and have therapeutic value. Ethics approval
The study has been approved by the Ethics Committee
Studies on the immune mechanism of OMG are of Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
scarce. However, in our study, both the Breg cells
and NK cells were not obviously changed in the REFERENCES
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