Clinical significance of paraneoplastic neurological antibodies detection

Abstract

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) were defined as neurological syndromes associated with cancer. In many cases, autoantibodies against neural antigens expressed by the tumor (paraneoplastic neurological antibody or onconeural antibodies) were detected. The neuronal antibodies, which were associated with syndromes resulting from central nervous system neuronal dysfunction, were classified into two groups according to the location of the antigen: inside the neuron or in the cell membrane. Group Ⅰ antibodies targeted on intracellular antigens and were predominantly dependent on T-cell-mediated responses. Group Ⅱ antibodies recognized neuronal surface antigens and were predominantly dependent on B-cell-mediated responses. Onconeural antibodies were useful diagnostic markers of the brain disease, and in some cases, they might reveal an underlying malignancy. Moreover, the presence of antibodies against surface(group Ⅱ) antigens might predict a more favorable response to immunotherapy than that against intracellular (group Ⅰ) antigens.(Chin J Lab Med, 2015, 38: 801-804) Key words: Paraneoplastic syndromes, nervous system; Antibodies, neoplasm; Tumor markers, biological