Serum interleukin 15 levels in patients with seropositive myasthenia gravis do not correlate with disease severity

Abstract

Aim: To assess interleukin 15 (IL-15) serum levels in patients with seropositive myasthenia gravis (MG); searching for potential relationship between IL-15 levels and clinical features such as gender, age at onset, clinical presentation or treatment received.

Background: IL-15 plays pivotal role in T-cell dependent autoimmunity. Increased IL-15 serum levels have been reported in several autoimmune diseases including MG patients from Japan.

Patients and methods: Sera of 42 seropositive MG patients (66.7% women), mean age 50.6±23.7 years) have been tested by ELISA for IL-15 levels.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences between IL-15 serum levels in MG patients in comparison with controls as well as between subgroups of MG patients (early vs. late onset and thymoma MG). Mean/median IL-15 serum levels were similar in MG patients treated with corticosteroids (CS) and CS naïve. Outliers (very high values) were seen only in untreated generalized MG patients.

Conclusions: Serum interleukin 15 levels in patients with seropositive myasthenia gravis do not correlate with disease severity.

Keywords: Autoimmune disease; Cytokine; Interleukin 15; Myasthenia gravis.