Anti-neuronal antibodies in acute pandysautonomia.
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.
Matsui
Naoko
N
Department of Neurology, Institute of Health Bioscience, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan. nao-mm@clin.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
Mitsui
Takao
T
Ohshima
Yasushi
Y
Yokoi
Kenji
K
Kunishige
Makoto
M
Yagi
Fumikazu
F
Vernino
Steven
S
Matsumoto
Toshio
T
Kaji
Ryuji
R
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
D001323:Autoantibodies; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic