Vol.18 No.1

Case Report

Peripheral CD4+ T cells showing a Th2 phenotype in a patient with Mikulicz’s disease associated with lymphadenopathy and pleural effusion

Authors

Katsuhisa Miyake1 , Masafumi Moriyama2 , Kumiko Aizawa1 , Shuji Nagano1 , Yasushi Inoue1 , Atsushi Sadanaga1 , Hitoshi Nakashima1,3 , Seiji Nakamura2

  • Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
  • Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
  • Division of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
Received:

20 July 2007

Accepted:

11 September 2007

Published online:

20 December 2007

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Abstract

Mikulicz’s disease (MD) is a unique IgG4-related systemic disease indicated by enlargement of the lachrymal and salivary glands and which differs substantially from Sjögren’s syndrome. A male patient with pleural effusion, swelling of the submandibular glands, and swelling of the paraaortic, mediastinal, and pararenal lymph nodes was diagnosed with MD. Analysis of peripheral CD4+ T cells from the patient revealed deviation of the Th1/Th2 balance to Th2. Prednisolone therapy ameliorated the disease and corrected the Th1/Th2 imbalance.

Key words

Mikulicz’s disease - Sjögren’s syndrome - Th1/Th2 balance