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

Table 4

Detection of EBV latent LMP1 and lytic BZLF1 proteins in MG thymus by immunohistochemistry.

Patient	Thymic	Anti-AChR	EBV proteins^b
	pathology	antibodies^a	LMP1	BZLF1
MG1	Hyperplasia	Positive	+	+
MG5	Hyperplasia	Positive	+	+
MG6	Hyperplasia	Positive	+	+
MG9	Hyperplasia	SN	+	+
MG11	Thymitis	Positive	−	+
MG13	Thymitis	Positive	+	−
MG16	Involuted	Positive	+	+
MG17	Involuted	Positive	+	+
Ctr1^c	Normal	SN	−	−
Ctr2^c	Normal	SN	−	−

^aSN: seronegative (AChR- and MuSK-negative) patients. ^bResults of immunostaining for LMP1 and BZLF1 are expressed as follows: + presence of positive cells; − absence of positive cells. ^cCtr: nonpathological control thymus.