Brenner T, Zielinski A, Argov Z, Abramsky O
Tumour Biol. 1984;5(5):263-74.
Rats immunized with Torpedo acetylcholine receptor (AChR) developed experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) manifested by an early acute phase and a late chronic phase. In the animals the acute and the chronic diseases were prevented by the administration of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-rich fractions obtained from human amniotic fluid and umbilical cord serum. Both the clinical and the electromyographic manifestations of EAMG was affected by AFP treatment. The anti-AChR antibody level as well as the cellular immune response to AChR were also affected by AFP. Rats immunized with Torpedo AChR and treated with AFP-rich fractions showed low levels of antibodies to rat AChR, and an inhibited proliferation response of lymphocytes to the antigen AChR. The addition of AFP in vitro to the lymphocyte culture significantly inhibited the proliferative response to AChR and to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin. AFP is present in high amounts during pregnancy, and therefore the present findings suggest that clinical remissions of myasthenia gravis during the second half of pregnancy may be attributed to the immunosuppressive effect of AFP.
用鱼雷乙酰胆碱受体（AChR）免疫的大鼠会患上实验性自身免疫性重症肌无力（EAMG），该病表现为早期急性期和晚期慢性期。在这些动物中，通过给予从人羊水和脐带血清中获得的富含甲胎蛋白（AFP）的组分，可预防急性和慢性疾病。AFP治疗会影响EAMG的临床和肌电图表现。AFP还会影响抗AChR抗体水平以及对AChR的细胞免疫反应。用鱼雷AChR免疫并用富含AFP的组分治疗的大鼠显示出低水平的抗大鼠AChR抗体，以及淋巴细胞对抗原AChR的增殖反应受到抑制。在淋巴细胞培养物中体外添加AFP可显著抑制对AChR和有丝分裂原植物血凝素的增殖反应。AFP在怀孕期间大量存在，因此目前的研究结果表明，妊娠后半期重症肌无力的临床缓解可能归因于AFP的免疫抑制作用。
