As CCL21 is essential for germinal center development, we suggested that miR-7 could be involved in thymic changes associated with MG. miR-125a was up-regulated in MG thymuses and is of great interest as it is known to regulate FoxP3 expression, and to modulate the different inflammatory signaling pathways.
CCL21 overexpression is normalized in corticoid-treated MG patients, suggesting that targeting this chemokine could represent a new selective treatment, decreasing the abnormal peripheral lymphocyte recruitment.
Furthermore, in the hyperplastic MG thymus, the expression of secondary lymphoid-tissue chemokine (SLC) markedly increased especially around extralobular blood vessels, where the CD44(high) cell population accumulated.