Screening for autoantibodies in children with opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia

Pediatr Neurol. 2002 Nov;27(5):384-7. doi: 10.1016/s0887-8994(02)00457-5.

Abstract

Various paraneoplastic autoantibodies have been linked to discrete neurologic syndromes and tumors in adults, but little is known about their incidence in children. We report a cross-sectional study of known paraneoplastic antibodies in 59 children with opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia, 86% of whom were moderately or severely symptomatic, and 68% of whom had relapsed at the time of testing. This total number of patients includes 18 children with low-stage neuroblastoma (tested after tumor resection), six of whom had never been treated with immunosuppressants. All were seronegative for anti-Hu, anti-Ri, and anti-Yo, the three paraneoplastic antibodies most associated with opsoclonus-myoclonus or ataxia in adults. These data contrast with reports of anti-Hu-positive sera in children with high-stage tumors and suggest that anti-Hu, anti-Ri, and anti-Yo do not explain relapses in pediatric opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia. They underscore the need to search for unique autoantibodies, as well as cellular mechanisms of pediatric paraneoplastic disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Neoplasms / blood*
  • Abdominal Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Abdominal Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Age of Onset
  • Ataxia / blood
  • Ataxia / diagnosis
  • Ataxia / epidemiology
  • Autoantibodies / blood*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Comorbidity
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Mass Screening / statistics & numerical data*
  • Neuroblastoma / blood*
  • Neuroblastoma / diagnosis
  • Neuroblastoma / epidemiology
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System / blood*
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System / diagnosis
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System / epidemiology
  • Recurrence
  • Serologic Tests
  • Sex Distribution
  • Thoracic Neoplasms / blood*
  • Thoracic Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Thoracic Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • United States / epidemiology

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Immunoglobulin G