title: Qualitative evidence of anti-Yo-specific intrathecal antibody synthesis in patients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration.
abstract: We investigated the presence of anti-Yo-specific oligoclonal antibody bands in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples of 9 patients with anti-Yo syndrome and 11 controls. Isoelectric focusing combined with affinity blotting, revealed anti-Yo-specific intrathecal antibody synthesis in all patients with anti-Yo syndrome: Four patients had positive anti-Yo-specific oligoclonal IgG bands in CSF which were not demonstrable in their sera; five CSF/serum pairs showed additional, more intensive, oligoclonal bands in CSF compared to the corresponding serum. Interestingly, four patients with absence of oligoclonal bands of total IgG in CSF revealed positive anti-Yo-specific oligoclonal bands in the same sample. This speaks for a higher sensitivity of detection of oligoclonal bands using an affinity blot loaded with Yo-specific antigen compared to an affinity blot coated with anti-human IgG used for the detection of oligoclonal bands of total IgG. In conclusion, the presence of anti-Yo-specific oligoclonal IgG bands in CSF which were absent, or less strong, in patients sera provides qualitative evidence of anti-Yo-specific IgG synthesis by intrathecal B-cell clones. These results could be of interest in detection of intrathecal-specific IgG synthesis in nervous system infectious diseases provided that the target antigen is known.
authors.affiliation: Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik der Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stich
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Graus
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rasiah
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rauer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D001324:Autoantigens; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D020362:Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; C063762:CDR1 protein, human; C095184:CDR2 protein, human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands