Shushtari Ali, Ashayeri Hamidreza, Salmannezhad Amirhossein, Seyedmirzaei Homa, Rezaei Nima
Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Neurol Sci. 2025 May 10. doi: 10.1007/s10072-025-08218-3.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder impacting muscle endplate components. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly, might play pivotal roles in MG pathogenesis, influencing regulatory T cells and contributing to chronic inflammation. We did this systematic review and meta-analysis to address the conflicting results about pro-inflammatory cytokine profiles in MG.
A thorough search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Embase to find studies measuring interleukin (IL)-1 family (IL-1β, IL-18, IL-33, IL-36, IL-37), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in MG patients' serum and controls. Selection criteria encompassed various MG types, including ocular and generalized, with and without thymoma, and acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive and negative.
Of the 1843 identified studies, 16 met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis revealed a significant increase in serum TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-33 level in MG patients compared to controls. The included studies also implied elevated levels of IL-18 in people with MG compared to controls and elevated levels of IL-18 and IL-33 in generalized MG compared to ocular MG.
Our study highlights the altered profiles of pro-inflammatory cytokines in MG.
重症肌无力（MG）是一种自身免疫性神经肌肉疾病，会影响肌肉终板成分。特别是促炎细胞因子可能在MG发病机制中起关键作用，影响调节性T细胞并导致慢性炎症。我们进行了这项系统评价和荟萃分析，以解决关于MG中促炎细胞因子谱的相互矛盾的结果。
在PubMed、Scopus和Embase中进行了全面检索，以查找测量MG患者血清和对照组中白细胞介素（IL）-1家族（IL-1β、IL-18、IL-33、IL-36、IL-37）、IL-6和肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）水平的研究。选择标准包括各种MG类型，包括眼肌型和全身型，有或无胸腺瘤，以及乙酰胆碱受体（AChR）抗体阳性和阴性。
在1843项已识别的研究中，16项符合纳入标准。荟萃分析显示，与对照组相比，MG患者血清TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-33水平显著升高。纳入的研究还表明，与对照组相比，MG患者的IL-18水平升高，与眼肌型MG相比，全身型MG的IL-18和IL-33水平升高。
我们的研究突出了MG中促炎细胞因子谱的改变。
