title: Anti-neuronal antibodies in acute pandysautonomia.
abstract: We encountered two patients with acute pandysautonomia who subacutely exhibited extensive autonomic dysfunction after antecedent infections. Although these patients had been suffering from autonomic disturbance for several months, they both had a good clinical course after plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-immunostaining did not demonstrate any antibodies against gangliosides, but immunoblot analysis showed antibodies against a neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, in serum samples. Furthermore, ganglionic acetylcholine receptor autoantibodies were detected in one patient. These findings suggest that neuronal antibodies against the autonomic nervous system play an important role in the pathogenesis of acute pandysautonomia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Health Bioscience, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan. nao-mm@clin.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsui
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohshima
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokoi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kunishige
authors.forename: Fumikazu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vernino
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaji
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies; D020274:Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000276:immunology*; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic