In 13 of 17 myasthenic patients without thymoma and all 7 patients with thymoma, thymic lymphocytes produced antibody to acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Lymphocytes from the thymoma itself did not produce AChR antibody except in one patient. The rate of antibody production was higher in patients without thymoma than in patients with thymoma (32.5 and 3.9 fmol/10(6) cells/week, respectively). The rate of antibody production was related to the serum titer of AChR antibody (r = 0.7, p less than 0.001). Enrichment of B cells using a nylon wool column increased the rate of antibody production by thymic lymphocytes 1.3- to 8.0-fold.
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Fujii et al. (1984) studied this question.