Paraneoplastic Neurologic Disorders

Question 1

Describe the general pathogenesis of paraneoplastic neurological disorders

Answer 1

Antitumor immune response is directed against an antigen present on both the cancer cells and a nervous system cell (onconeural antigen)

Question 2

What is the pathogenesis of a diffuse encephalomyelitis?

Answer 2

Antitumor Abs that are reactive against many neuron populations throughout the brain!

Question 3

What antigens are attached in cerebellar degernation?

Answer 3

Yo or Ri antigens

Question 4

What antigens are attacked in limbic encephalitis? What neoplastic conditions are associated?

Answer 4

Ma or Ma2; SCLC or testicular cancer

Question 5

What two major class of neuron proteins are targets in PND associated autoimmune attack and what are examples of each?

Answer 5

1) Intracellular antigen - Hu, Yo, Ri, Ma 2) Neuronal Cell Surface antigens - K channels, AMPA, GABA-B, Glycine, Glutamate, NMDA