Objective: To report on a novel neuronal target antigen in 3 patients with autoimmune cerebellar degeneration.Methods: Three patients with subacute to chronic cerebellar ataxia and controls underwent detailed clinical and neuropsychological assessment together with quantitative high-resolution structural MRI. Sera and CSF were subjected to comprehensive autoantibody screening by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and immunoblot. Immunoprecipitation with lysates of hippocampus and cerebellum combined with mass spectrometric analysis was used to identify the autoantigen, which was verified by recombinant expression in HEK293 cells and use in several immunoassays. Multiparameter flow cytometry was performed on peripheral blood and CSF, and peripheral blood was subjected to T-cell receptor spectratyping.Results: Patients presented with a subacute to chronic cerebellar and brainstem syndrome. MRI was consistent with cortical and cerebellar gray matter atrophy associated with subsequent neuroaxonal degeneration. IFA screening revealed strong immunoglobulin G1 reactivity in sera and CSF with hippocampal and cerebellar molecular and granular layers, but not with a panel of 30 recombinantly expressed established neural autoantigens. Neurochondrin was subsequently identified as the target antigen, verified by IFA and immunoblot with HEK293 cells expressing human neurochondrin as well as the ability of recombinant neurochondrin to neutralize the autoantibodies' tissue reaction. Immune phenotyping revealed intrathecal accumulation and activation of B and T cells during the acute but not chronic phase of the disease. T-cell receptor spectratyping suggested an antigen-specific T-cell response accompanying the formation of antineurochondrin autoantibodies. No such neurochondrin reactivity was found in control cohorts of various neural autoantibody-associated neurologic syndromes, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, cerebellar type of multiple system atrophy, hereditary cerebellar ataxias, other neurologic disorders, or healthy donors. Conclusion:Neurochondrin is a neuronal target antigen in autoimmune cerebellar degeneration.Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm 2017;4:e307; doi: 10.1212/NXI.0000000000000307 GLOSSARY AD 5 axial diffusivity; AI 5 antibody indices; DTI 5 diffusion tensor imaging; FA 5 fractional anisotropy; IFA 5 immunofluorescent assay; IgG 5 immunoglobulin G; IVIg 5 IV immunoglobulin; mGluR 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor; MSA-c 5 cerebellar type of multiple system atrophy; PB 5 peripheral blood; RD 5 radial diffusivity; RRMS 5 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis; SARA 5 Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia; TCR 5 T-cell receptor.Autoantibodies against neuronal constituents are associated with several severe immune-mediated CNS disorders. These disorders may predominantly affect gray matter structures of different brain regions such as the archicortex of the limbic system, neocortex, and basal ganglia, as well as cerebellar cortex and brainstem.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.