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 Nakashima^1,3, and Seiji Nakamura²

1. Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
2. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
3. resent address: 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 Sjogren’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 - Sjogren’s syndrome - Th1/Th2 balance