title: Absence of paraneoplastic antineuronal antibodies in sera of 145 patients with motor neuron disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Well characterised antineuronal antibodies (ANAbs) have been shown to be highly specific markers of neurological syndromes with a paraneoplastic aetiology. Previous reports indicate that pure motor neuron disease (MND) is rarely of paraneoplastic origin.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To screen systematically for the prevalence of well characterised paraneoplastic ANAbs in a large collective of patients with pure MND.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cohort of 145 patients with MND, the frequency of ANAbs was estimated by ELISA, employing recombinant antigens (HuD, Yo, Ri, CV2/CRMP5, Ma2 and amphiphysin).
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the sera revealed high antineuronal antigen reactivity. Very low reactivity was detected in only five sera, in all probability representing background activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to these data, routine analysis for ANAbs in patients with isolated MND is not mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik der Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg, Breisacher Strasse 64, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stich
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kleer
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rauer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D009474:Neurons / Q000276:immunology*; D020361:Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies