1. Anti-neuronal autoantibody in Hashimoto's encephalopathy: neuropathological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical analysis of two patients
- Author
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Kazuma Kaneko, Takashi Oide, Megumi Watarai, Shigeaki Mitsuhashi, Takao Hashimoto, Masahide Yazaki, Shu-ichi Ikeda, Takahiko Tokuda, and Shinji Ohara
- Subjects
Male ,Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Blotting, Western ,Central nervous system ,Encephalopathy ,Hashimoto's encephalopathy ,Immunoglobulin G ,Pathogenesis ,Mice ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Autoantibodies ,Neurons ,Brain Diseases ,Mice, Inbred BALB C ,biology ,business.industry ,Thyroiditis, Autoimmune ,Autoantibody ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Immunohistochemistry ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Neurology ,Cerebral cortex ,Immunology ,biology.protein ,Neurology (clinical) ,Vasculitis ,business - Abstract
Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is thought to be caused by disorders of immune mechanisms. Although immunologically mediated central nervous system vasculitis or unidentified anti-neuronal autoantibodies have been suspected of causing HE, its pathogenesis is still unclear. For the study presented here, two patients with typical clinical and laboratory/electrophysiological findings of HE were analyzed to clarify the role of anti-neuronal autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of HE. The autopsied brain of one of the patients was histopathologically examined. For Western blotting analysis and immunohistochemistry, serum and purified immunoglobulin G obtained from the other patient were used. Autopsy revealed no evidence of central nervous system vasculitis or other abnormal findings in the brain. The patient's serum contained an anti-neuronal autoantibody that immunohistochemically labeled neurons of mouse and human cerebral cortices and reacted with the 36-kDa antigenic protein present in a soluble fraction obtained from human cerebral cortex. Our results indicate that anti-neuronal autoantibodies may be associated with the pathogenesis of HE.
- Published
- 2004
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