Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor treatment of a patient in myasthenic crisis: effects on regulatory T cells.
Muscle Nerve 2012;
46:449-53. [PMID:
22907239 DOI:
10.1002/mus.23488]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
In this study we describe a patient with a prolonged myasthenic crisis refractory to conventional immunomodulatory therapy who was treated with GM-CSF (granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, sargramostim).
METHODS
T-regulatory cell (Treg) suppressive function and Foxp3 expression were evaluated before and after treatment with GM-CSF.
RESULTS
Treatment with GM-CSF was associated with clinical improvement, expansion in the circulating numbers of Foxp3(+) cells, increase in Foxp3 expression levels in Tregs, early improvement in Treg suppressive capacity for AChR-α-induced T-cell proliferation, and subsequent enhancement in Treg suppression of polyclonal T-cell proliferation.
CONCLUSION
Although definitive conclusions cannot be drawn from a single case, the correlation with similar findings in GM-CSF-treated animals with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis suggests further exploration of the effects of GM-CSF in myasthenia gravis should be studied in a clinical trial setting.
Collapse