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a Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Friedrichstrasse 24, Justus-Liebig-University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany b Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Am Steg 14, Justus-Liebig-Universität, D-35385 Giessen, Germany
Key Words: autoantibodies • neuroblastoma • opsoclonus–myoclonus syndrome (OMS)
Address for correspondence: Antje Kirsten, Institute of Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University, Friedrichstrasse 24, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. Voice: +49641-9947507; fax: +49641-9947539. Antje.Kirsten{at}biochemie.med.uni-giessen.de
Opsoclonus–myoclonus syndrome (OMS) is a rare neurologic disorder comprising the main symptoms of eye-movement disturbances, muscle jerks, and severe ataxia. In children and adults, some cases are associated with a tumor as a paraneoplastic syndrome, whereas in children the paraneoplastic form is almost exclusively associated with neuroblastoma. The detection of autoantibodies in some OMS sera led to the hypothesis that the syndrome is of autoimmune origin. Beside autoantibodies against intracellular proteins, such as anti-Hu,
 -enolase, and KHSRP, specific binding of autoantibodies to the surface of neuroblastoma cells and cerebellar granular neurons have been found. Antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of these autoantibodies on neuroblastoma cell lines were noted as well. These results support the concept of a humoral autoimmune process in the pathogenesis of OMS.
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