Inflammation and Epstein-Barr Virus Infection Are Common Features of Myasthenia Gravis Thymus: Possible Roles in Pathogenesis
Table 2
Upregulated genes in follicular hyperplasia, thymitis, and involuted thymus versus normal thymus identified by TaqMan low-density arrays (LDAs).
Gene symbol
Biological function
Fold changesa
Hyperplasia
Thymitis
Involuted
CSF1
Cytokine
3.61 (1.23)
7.16 (2.78)*
2.22 (1.15)
IL-1β
Cytokine
11.29 (13.44)
51.72 (30.57)*
10.92 (10.92)
IL-6
Cytokine
29.56 (14.44)
1621.00 (513.70)**
72.60 (20.25)**
IL-10
Cytokine
5.93 (0.41)*
7.64 (1.12)*
7.14 (0.61)**
IL-12p35
Cytokine
4.09 (3.47)
15.42 (6.55)*
3.42 (2.11)
TNF-α
Cytokine
2.97 (1.61)
8.92 (2.95)*
3.27 (1.10)
IFN-γ
Cytokine
2.21 (0.78)
15.24 (4.89)*
1.78 (2.30)
RANTES
Cytokine
4.90 (1.07)*
6.79 (1.26)*
3.31 (0.95)
IL-7
Growth factor
5.25 (2.27)
21.18 (8.36)*
2.78 (0.92)
VEGF-A
Growth factor
5.01 (2.57)
20.07 (9.74)*
4.62 (3.02)
IL-8
Chemokine
3.90 (3.25)
16.22 (5.61)*
3.57 (2.00)
CXCR3
Chemokine receptor
4.56 (0.50)*
6.15 (1.19)*
2.57 (0.70)
MCP-1
Chemokine
4.41 (1.36)
31.08 (5.68)*
20.53 (1.60)**
MIP-1α
Chemokine
17.93 (11.38)
35.01 (11.34)*
16.11 (7.89)
CD19
CD antigen
4.37 (0.17)*
6.91 (1.41)*
3.51 (1.25)
CD86
CD antigen
1.82 (0.09)
3.82 (1.52)*
1.05 (0.44)
CD152
CD antigen
3.38 (0.49)
7.87 (3.37)*
2.97 (1.77)
HLA-DRα
MHC Class II
2.12 (0.39)
4.15 (1.05)*
1.58 (0.78)
C3
Complement component
10.66 (4.75)
29.12 (6.87)*
12.83 (10.88)
SMAD7
Cell signaling
2.53 (0.87)
4.78 (0.62)**
1.61 (1.06)
ECE1
Metalloprotease
2.57 (0.97)
6.34 (2.51)*
2.42 (1.51)
aFor each gene, mean fold change (±SD) for the different MG thymus subgroups compared to normal thymuses is given. Fold change was calculated from the formula ; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 (Bonferroni test). The genes in bold were further analysed by real-time RT-PCR.
