IFNA-AS1 regulates CD4+ T cell activation in myasthenia gravis though HLA-DRB1

Abnormal CD4+ T cell activation is known to play roles in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG). However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the roles of lncRNAs in regulating CD4+ T cell. In this study, we discovered that the lncRNA IFNG-AS1 is abnormally expressed in MG patients associated with quantitative myasthenia gravis (QMG) and the positive anti-AchR Ab levels patients. IFNG-AS1 influenced Th1/Treg cell proliferation and regulated the expression levels of their transcription factors in an experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG)model. IFNG-AS1 could reduce the expression of HLA-DRB and HLA-DOB and they had a negative correlation in MG. Furthermore IFNG-AS1 influenced the expression levels of CD40L and CD4+ T cells activation in MG patient partly depend on effecting the HLA-DRB1 expression. It suggests that IFNG-AS1 may be involved in CD4+ T cell-mediated immune responses in MG.