title: A case report of the efficient reduction of calcium channel antibodies by tryptophan ligand immunoadsorption in a patient with Lambert-Eaton syndrome.
abstract: Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is a neuromuscular transmission disease caused by autoantibodies directed against voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC). We report on a patient with LEMS and a cerebellar syndrome associated with lymphatic proliferation in the thymus. As thymectomy and immunosuppressive therapy failed to efficiently reduce clinical symptoms and VGCC antibody titer, we performed immunoadsorption using a tryptophan-ligand column for the first time. Repeated treatments resulted in a considerable decrease in antibody levels and a marked subjective and objective amelioration of LEMS as well as of the cerebellar symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Medical Policlinic, Department of Nephrology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany. Matthias.Sauter@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sitter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000276:immunology*; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D015624:Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015220:Calcium Channels; D014364:Tryptophan