Huang S W, Rose J W, Mayer R F
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1977 Nov;40(11):1053-9. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.40.11.1053.
A close association of autoimmune diseases or autoimmune phenomena in myasthenia gravis is well known. A comprehensive immunological study of 22 patients with myasthenia gravis showed that changes in the immune system mainly involve the thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells). Anti-thymus antibody was present in 90% of the patients, and it paralleled the frequency of thymic abnormality in myasthenia gravis. It is postulated that in myasthenia gravis the altered T cell functions caused by anti-thymus antibody result in the formation of an array of autoantibodies including the factor which blocks the neuromuscular transmission.
重症肌无力与自身免疫性疾病或自身免疫现象密切相关，这是众所周知的。对22例重症肌无力患者进行的全面免疫学研究表明，免疫系统的变化主要涉及胸腺来源的淋巴细胞（T细胞）。90%的患者存在抗胸腺抗体，且其与重症肌无力中胸腺异常的发生率平行。据推测，在重症肌无力中，抗胸腺抗体引起的T细胞功能改变导致一系列自身抗体的形成，包括阻断神经肌肉传递的因子。
