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Leukocyte and lymphoid cell counts in myasthenia gravis

Departments of Pathology (Dr. Fritze) and Neurology (Dr. Herrmann), Myasthenia Gravis Clinic, and the Reed Neurological Research Center, University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.

Serial leukocyte counts and lymphoid cell counts were compared before and after thymectomy via sternal-splitting incision in 50 patients with myasthenia gravis. Leukocyte counts and lymphoid cell counts of the thymectomized patients also were compared to those of 30 non-thymectomized myasthenic patients and 150 non-myasthenic patient controls. While mean leukocyte counts did not change significantly before and 5.5 ± 5 years after thymectomy, mean lymphoid cell counts were slightly lower during this observation period post-thymectomy (t = 1.918, p = 0.03). Lower lymphoid cell counts appeared to correlate with a favorable response of myasthenia gravis in patients with thymic hyperplasia and mainly involuted thymus.

This study was supported in part by the California Chapter of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation.

Received for publication July 25, 1974.

Dr. Herrmann's address is Department of Neurology, Reed Neurological Research Center, University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90024.