Seronegativity for type 1 antineuronal nuclear antibodies ('anti-Hu') in subacute sensory neuronopathy patients without cancer.
We followed 21 patients with sensory neuronopathy without evidence of cancer for up to 23 years. All were seronegative for type 1 antineuronal nuclear antibodies (ANNA-1, also called "anti-Hu"). We additionally studied 67 seropositive patients with sensory neuropathy or a related neurologic syndrome. Ninety-one percent of the seropositive patients had a small-cell lung carcinoma. One, with a normal chest x-ray, had been followed for 7 years for sensory neuronopathy of indeterminate cause before serologic testing for ANNA-1 led to the discovery of the tumor by CT. We conclude that ANNA-1 seropositivity in a patient with sensory neuronopathy is strong evidence for an underlying small-cell lung cancer.
Chalk
C H
CH
Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.
Lennon
V A
VA
Stevens
J C
JC
Windebank
A J
AJ
D000208:Acute Disease; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000276:immunology*
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear