Inflammation and Epstein-Barr Virus Infection Are Common Features of Myasthenia Gravis Thymus: Possible Roles in Pathogenesis

Table 3

Detection of EBV DNA and RNA transcripts in MG thymus by real-time PCR.

Patient	Thymic pathology	Anti-AChR antibodies^a	EBV DNA^b	Latent markers^b			Lytic marker^b
				EBER1	EBNA1	LMP1	BZLF1
MG1	Hyperplasia	Positive	+	+	+	−	+
MG2	Hyperplasia	Positive	+	+	+	+	+
MG3	Hyperplasia	Positive	−	+	+	−	−
MG4	Hyperplasia	Positive	−	+	+	−	+
MG5	Hyperplasia	Positive	+	+	+	+	+
MG6	Hyperplasia	Positive	+	+	+	+	+
MG7	Hyperplasia	SN	+	−	−	+	+
MG8	Hyperplasia	SN	−	−	+	−	+
MG9	Hyperplasia	SN	+	+	+	−	+
MG10	Thymitis	Positive	−	−	−	+	+
MG11	Thymitis	Positive	−	+	+	−	+
MG12	Thymitis	Positive	+	−	−	−	−
MG13	Thymitis	Positive	+	+	+	−	−
MG14	Thymitis	SN	−	−	+	+	+
MG15	Involuted	Positive	+	+	−	−	+
MG16	Involuted	Positive	+	+	+	+	+
MG17	Involuted	Positive	+	+	+	+	+
MG18	Involuted	Positive	+	+	+	+	+
MG19	Involuted	Positive	−	+	+	−	+
Ctr1^c	Normal	SN	−	−	−	−	−
Ctr2^c	Normal	SN	−	−	−	−	−

^aSN: seronegative (AChR- and MuSK-negative) patients. ^bEBV genome and transcripts were analysed by real-time PCR techniques as described in Section 2. Results are expressed as follows: + detected (Ct value <38); − not detected (Ct value >38). ^cCtr: nonpathological control thymus.