Abstract
Fas is a 45 kD transmembrane protein which is able to induce apoptosis, belongs to the tumor necrosis factor-receptor (TNF-R) super family1 and was expressed in a variety of epithelial cells2. Fas ligand (FasL) is a 40 kD membrane protein and one of the TNF family3. Fas-L induces apoptosis to the cell having Fas antigen after binding to Fas. In the thymus, Fas is present and known to work on negative selection by deletion of autoreactive T-cell clones4. In patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and thymoma, the value of anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody is often found high5. The pathogenesis of the anti-AChR-antibody has not been fully elucidated. The messenger RNA of AChR-αsubunit was reported in cultured thymoma cells6. In the mechanism producing anti-AChR autoantibody, abnormal Fas-FasL system may have a role. The purpose of the present study is to find the localization and to detect function of Fas in thymomas of patients with MG.
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Kawanami, S., Mori, S., Yoneda, S., Shirakusa, T., Nishimaru, K., Kikuchi, M. (1997). Myasthenia Gravis with Thymoma and Fas Antigen. In: Marx, A., Müller-Hermelink, H.K. (eds) Epithelial Tumors of the Thymus. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0033-3_32
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0033-3_32
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0035-7
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