Influence of thymectomy on leukocyte migration inhibition test in myasthenia gravis and ulcerative colitis

Abstract

Sensitized lymphocytes to muscle homogenate in myasthenia gravis and those to colonic epithelial homogenate in ulcerative colitis were assessed before and after thymectomy, using leukocyte migration inhibition test. In myasthenia gravis, all three patients showed slight inhibition before thymectomy, and one of them showed no significant change in inhibition 2 weeks after thymectomy. After thymectomy leukocyte migration inhibition was rather slight in 4 of 11 patients, but tended to return normal in the rest of patients. 3 patients with myasthenic crises after thymectomy showed normal migration at the time of remission obtained by ACTH therapy. Thymectomy and thymolympholysis action of ACTH therapy might be effective to get rid of auto-sensitized lymphocytes to muscle in myasthenia gravis. As for ulcerative colitis, 2 of 4 patients showed inhibition before thymectomy. One patient showed less inhibition, and another patient showed increased inhibition after thymectomy. A patient with recent onset of ulcerative colitis showed normal migration before and after thymectomy. 6 of 8 patients after thymectomy showed inhibition. The interval between thymectomy and leukocyte migration inhibition test was less than 6 months in all cases, which might be too short to opt rid of sensitized lvmnhocvtes. © 1975, The Keio Journal of Medicine. All rights reserved.