Neuronal (Paraneoplastic) Autoantibody Profile Test

Neuronal (Paraneoplastic) Autoantibody Profile Test

It is a laboratory test that detects antibodies in blood against neuronal antigens of a patient with Paraneoplastic syndrome. This test is also called Paraneoplastic autoantibody test.

Antibodies (also called immunoglobulins) are specific proteins that are produced in our body by the immune system against foreign substances like disease causing bacteria, virus, parasites, and fungi. These foreign invading substances are called antigens. Antibodies act and destroy these antigens and thus protect our body from these disease-causing antigens. In few cases, antibodies are produced against the body’s own cells. These are called autoantibodies.

Paraneoplastic neurological autoimmune diseases are those rare disorders in which antibodies are produced against body’s own healthy cells and tissues of the nervous system such as brain, spinal cord and nerves. These autoantibodies cause inflammation and damage. This Paraneoplastic syndrome is seen in few cancer patients such as those with cancer of lung, breast, ovary, testis thymoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and neuroblastoma. This happens because cancer fighting antibodies by mistake attack healthy cells of nervous system

This syndrome happens in middle age and old age people. The common symptoms associated with this disorder are:

• Difficulty in walking
• Difficulty in maintaining balance
• Weakness
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Speech difficulty
• Memory loss
• Cognitive decline
• Visual disturbance
• Fits
• Hallucinations
• Abnormal movements

The different types of neuronal Paraneoplastic syndromes are:

• Cerebellar degeneration (Cerebellar ataxia)
• Limbic encephalitis
• Encephalomyelitis
• Opsoclonus-myoclonus
• Stiff person syndrome
• Myelopathy
• Eaton-Lambert myasthenic syndrome
• Myasthenia gravis
• Neuromyotonia
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Dysautonomia

Why is Paraneoplastic neuronal antibody test prescribed?/h2>

• The health care provider may prescribe neuronal antibody profile test to diagnose and distinguish the type of Paraneoplastic syndrome as mentioned above, especially in patients with risk for cancers.
• this test also helps to know type of cancer which may be associated with the disease
• it also helps to provide optimal treatment for the disease
• it also helps to monitor immune response during the duration of cancer therapy
• it helps to detect recurrence of cancers

What are the components of neuronal antibody profile test?

This test helps to determine auto-antibodies against 12 different antigens in the blood of suspected patient with Paraneoplastic syndrome:

• amphiphysin-positive in breast/small cell lung cancer
• CV2-positive in small cell lung cancer/thymoma
• PNMA2 (Ma2/Ta)-positive in seminoma
• Hu-positive in small cell lung cancer/ neuroblastoma
• Ri-positive in small cell lung cancer /breast cancer
• Yo-positive in ovary/breast cancer/ uterine cancer
• Recoverin- small cell lung cancer
• SOX1- small cell lung cancer
• Titin-thymoma
• GAD65- small cell lung cancer/breast cancer/colon cancer
• Tr (DNER)-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
•  

Procedure and prerequisites

The sample for neuronal antibody test is blood which is collected by inserting a small needle into vein of your arm. A small amount of blood is then collected in a vacutainer. There may be some pain due to needle prick. No preparation is needed before this test.

Results

The results for Paraneoplastic panel test for detection of above 12 auto antibodies can be either strong positive, positive, borderline or negative.