Department of Neurology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Front Immunol. 2021 Dec 23;12:803101. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.803101. eCollection 2021.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an acquired neurological autoimmune disorder characterized by dysfunctional transmission at the neuromuscular junction, with its etiology associated with genetic and environmental factors. Anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells (Tregs) and pro-inflammatory T helper 17 (Th17) cells functionally antagonize each other, and the immune imbalance between them contributes to the pathogenesis of MG. Among the numerous factors influencing the balance of Th17/Treg cells, the gut microbiota have received attention from scholars. Gut microbial dysbiosis and altered microbial metabolites have been seen in patients with MG. Therefore, correcting Th17/Treg imbalances may be a novel therapeutic approach to MG by modifying the gut microbiota. In this review, we initially review the association between Treg/Th17 and the occurrence of MG and subsequently focus on recent findings on alterations of gut microbiota and microbial metabolites in patients with MG. We also explore the effects of gut microbiota on Th17/Treg balance in patients with MG, which may provide a new direction for the prevention and treatment of this disease.
重症肌无力（MG）是一种获得性神经肌肉自身免疫性疾病，其特征是神经肌肉接头功能障碍，其病因与遗传和环境因素有关。抗炎性调节性 T 细胞（Tregs）和促炎性辅助性 T 细胞 17（Th17）细胞在功能上相互拮抗，它们之间的免疫失衡导致了 MG 的发病机制。在影响 Th17/Treg 细胞平衡的众多因素中，肠道微生物群受到了学者们的关注。MG 患者存在肠道微生物失调和微生物代谢物改变。因此，通过改变肠道微生物群来纠正 Th17/Treg 失衡可能是治疗 MG 的一种新方法。在这篇综述中，我们首先回顾了 Treg/Th17 与 MG 发生的关系，随后重点介绍了最近关于 MG 患者肠道微生物群和微生物代谢物改变的发现。我们还探讨了肠道微生物群对 MG 患者 Th17/Treg 平衡的影响，这可能为该疾病的预防和治疗提供新的方向。
