title: Autoantibodies to photoreceptor membrane proteins and outer plexiform layer in patients with cancer-associated retinopathy.
abstract: Cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR) is a paraneoplastic syndrome that is characterized by degeneration of the retina as a remote effect of cancer outside the eye. The detection of autoantibodies associated with the retinopathy may precede the diagnosis of the underlying cancer. We have examined the sera of two patients with CAR by Western blot analysis. Autoantibodies to a 40kD antigen doublet and a 35 kD antigen were detected. Tissue specificity of the autoantigens was determined by testing several different tissues. The 40 kD antigen doublet was most abundant in retinal extract but was also present in lung and spleen extracts. The 35 kD antigen showed little tissue specificity and was present in all tissues tested. Fractionation of retinal proteins into water-soluble and -insoluble proteins revealed that the 40 kD antigen doublet was highly insoluble and probably represented membrane-associated proteins. Immunohistochemical analysis of the retina showed that the 40 kD antigens locate to the photoreceptors while the 35 kD antigen is located in the outer plexiform layer.
authors.affiliation: The Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. r.peek@ioi.knaw.nl
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peek
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meek
authors.forename: R W A M
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Kuijpers
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D003117:Color Vision Defects / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D003623:Dark Adaptation / Q000276:immunology; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000276:immunology*; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012160:Retina / Q000276:immunology; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D012374:Rod Cell Outer Segment / Q000276:immunology*; D012995:Solubility; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D005136:Eye Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014020:Tissue Extracts