[Immunobiological approach to spinocerebellar degeneration--anti-Purkinje cell antibodies in paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration].
We analyzed the antibodies against cerebellum in five patients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD). Four patients were found to have autoantibodies against rat brain, first one to cerebral 250 kd and 110 kd and cerebellar 110 kd proteins, second one to cerebral and cerebellar 98 kd and 68 kd proteins, third one to cerebellar 58 kd protein and fourth one to 58 kd protein especially in the cytoplasm and nucleus of Purkinje cells. We isolated a cDNA clone from a human cerebellar library to identify the target antigen for fourth antibody. Homology searches revealed a similarity with the zinc finger proteins. Zinc finger proteins are considered to regulate gene expression. Therefore, degeneration of this protein by its antibody may affect the synthesis of proteins in Purkinje cell and may cause cerebellar degeneration.
Miyatake
T
T
Department of Neurology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000276:immunology*; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D013132:Spinocerebellar Degenerations / Q000276:immunology*; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies