Parvovirus B19 and Human Herpes Virus 6B and 7 Are Frequently Found DNA Viruses in the Human Thymus But Show No Definitive Link With Myasthenia Gravis

Abstract

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disorder characterized by muscle weakness resulting from autoantibody-mediated disruption of the neuromuscular junction. Notably, it is also frequently associated with thymic pathology. This study explores the relationship between MG and DNA viruses in the thymus, employing targeted next-generation sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction to analyze thymic tissue samples from both patients with MG and healthy controls. We detected human herpes virus 6B and 7, Epstein-Barr virus, and parvovirus B19 (B19V) across various tissue groups. However, no significant enrichment of these viruses was observed in the thymic tissue of patients with MG.