title: Immunobiology of stiff-person syndrome.
abstract: The two possibilities to explain the pathogenic basis of stiff-person syndrome (SPS) are intrathecal sensitization of GAD65-reactive CD4+T cells and synthesis of GAD65-specific autoantibodies within the CNS [Rakocevic et al., Arch. Neurol. 61: 902-904, 2004]; and peripheral antigen sensitization followed by CNS antigen recognition by autoantibodies that cross the blood-brain barrier. Antigen-specific CD4+ T cells are essential for the generation of high-affinity autoantibodies [Lanzavecchia, Nature 314: 537-539, 1985], but there is no evidence of cellular infiltration in the CNS of SPS patients [Warich-Kirches et al., Clin. Neuropathol. 16: 214-219, 1997; Ishizawa et al., Acta Neuropathol.(Berl) 97: 63-70, 1999]. This review discusses the possible role of autoantibodies and autoreactive T cells specific to neuronal antigens in SPS pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0019, USA. RRaju@uab.edu
authors.forename: Raghavan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raju
authors.forename: Christiane S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hampe
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D016750:Stiff-Person Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase; C401141:glutamate decarboxylase 2