2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Follicular helper T cells as an immunological marker in Myasthenia gravis
| Project/Area Number |
20K22786
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
0803:Pathology, infection/immunology, and related fields
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| Research Institution | Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine |
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Principal Investigator |
Ashida Shinji 京都府立医科大学, 医学部附属病院, 専攻医 (60884202)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-09-11 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | 重症筋無力症 / 濾胞性T細胞 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
MG is the autoimmune disease targeting neuro-muscular junction. MG cause fatigue, muscle weakness and respiratory failure. Tfh, chemokine receptor: CXCR5 expressing CD4 T cells, plays crucial role for B-cell mutation and antibody production in secondary lymph nodes. We focused on the CXCR5+ CD4 T cells in peripheral blood (circulating Tfh). This research revealed that the frequency of Tfh, especially ICOS highly expressing Tfh were higher in MG and cytokine productions (IL-4, IL-17A and IL-21) by Tfh were upregulated in MG. Interestingly, the Tfh phenotype showed the correlation with disease severity in MG and Tfh frequency was reduced after immunotherapy. This research indicated the possibility of Tfh in peripheral blood as the immunological marker in MG.
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| Free Research Field |
神経免疫学
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
重症筋無力症（MG）は自己免疫疾患であり、筋力低下、眼症状、呼吸症状をきたし、患者の生活の質を著しく低下させるのみならず、重症例では至死的である。奔放における患者数は増加しており、高齢者のMGが特に増加していることから、重要な神経免疫疾患である。現在の免疫治療はステロイド、免疫抑制剤が中心であり、生物由来製剤や血液浄化療法を併用しても難治の症例が存在する。疾患活動性を反映する免疫学的な指標、新たな治療標的が望まれている。本研究で着目したT細胞サブセットである濾胞性T細胞（Tfh）は新たな免疫指標、治療標的になることが期待される。
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