International Research in Thailand

我们以前曾在泰国北方的播散性非结核分枝杆菌感染患者中发现干扰素γ的自身抗体。我们还表明，血库捐献者没有这些自身抗体。去年，我们通过了协议，并在泰国开发了执行该项目的基础设施。此外，我们还确定了台湾和泰国其他确诊病例的地点。我们已经证实了来自不同研究中心的多名受试者中存在抗干扰素γ自身抗体。我们还发现了一个患有自身抗体和胸腺瘤（胸腺癌的一种形式）的人群。我们已经开发了当地实验室支持，以获得适当的淋巴细胞计数和血浆样本以及细胞因子刺激物，并将其运送至NIH进行分析。

We have previously identified autoantibodies to interferon gamma in patients in northern Thailand who have disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial infections. We have also shown that blood bank donors do not have these autoantibodies. This last year we have passed the protocol and developed the infrastructure in Thailand to execute this project. In addition, we have identified sites in Taiwan and other sites in Thailand at which these cases are diagnosed. We have confirmed the presence of anti-interferon gamma autoantibodies in multiple subjects from the various sites. We have also identified a population with autoantibodies and thymoma, a form of thymic cancer. We have developed the local laboratory support to obtain appropriate lymphocyte counts and plasma samples and cytokine stimulations for shipment to the NIH for analysis.