Fig 1: Changes of plasma cytokines in myasthenia gravis patients. (A–F) Levels of plasma IL-2, IL-6, IL-12 p70, IL-15, IL-18, IL-21 between HC (n = 20), MGFA I (n = 18), and MGFA II-IV (n = 35) group. (G) Correlation analysis between plasma IL-6, IL-21, and expression of NKG2D, PD1, perforin, granzyme B, CD107a, IFN-γ, and IL-10 in total NK cells for all subjects (n = 73). (H) Correlation analysis between plasma IL-6, IL-21 and expression of NKG2D, PD1, perforin, granzyme B, CD107a, IFN-γ, and IL-10 in CT NK cells and CS NK cells for all subjects. The numbers in the lower left part of the heatmap show the values of the correlation coefficient. (I–K) Representative flow cytometry plots and summary violin plots showing the frequency of IL-6 and IL-21 secretion by major immune cells for all subjects. (L, M) Summary dot plots showing the frequency of IL-6+ monocytes and IL-21+ Tfh cells between HC, MGFA I, and MGFA II-IV group. HC, healthy control; MGFA, Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America; CT NK, cytotoxic CD56dimCD16+ NK; CS NK, cytokine-secreting CD56brightCD16− NK. Data are presented as mean ± SD. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001.