Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0014070 (encephalomyelitis)
 13,017 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are mostly associated with small cell lung cancer. Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome appears to be caused by anti-presynaptic calcium channel antibodies. Calcium channels are also present in the cell membrane of small cell lung cancer, which may trigger the formation of anti-calcium channel antibodies. It is the most convincing argument in support of the auto-immune paraneoplastic theory, which refers to cross-antigenicity. Serum of patients with small cell carcinoma and cancer-associated retinopathy contains immunoglobulins against several antigens in the retinal and tumor cells. Patients with chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction (gastrointestinal neuropathy) associated with small cell lung cancer displayed circulating IgG antibodies reactive with neurons of myenteric plexus (anti-enteric neuronal antibodies). On the other hand, high levels of anti-neuronal antibodies (anti-Hu) have been found in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients suffering from subacute encephalomyelitis (limbic encephalitis, cerebellar degeneration, sensory neuronopathy) associated with small cell lung cancer. The pathogenic role of the anti-neuronal antibody is not well established. Nevertheless, the finding of high titer antineuronal antibody in patients with a suggestive clinical syndrome is of great interest since it confirms the paraneoplastic syndrome and suggests the location of the primary tumor when the cancer is unknown.
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PMID:[Autoimmunity and cancer: paraneoplastic neurological syndromes associated with small cell cancer]. 133 87

Paraneoplastic syndromes affecting the nervous system are rare and their diagnosis is often difficult when the original cancer is unknown. Recently, high levels of antineuronal antibodies (AB) have been found in serum and CSF of some patients with paraneoplastic syndromes. The anti-Yo AB recognizes 2 proteins of 34 and 62 kd in the cytoplasm of Purkinje cells and in malignant cells of patients suffering from paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration associated with ovarian and breast cancer. The anti-Hu AB recognizes a 37-40 kd protein in nuclei of neurons and in tumor cells of patients suffering from subacute sensory neuronopathy and encephalomyelitis associated with small cell lung cancer. Other antineuronal AB have been more rarely identified. The presence of high titer of one of these AB in a patient with suspected paraneoplastic syndrome is of great practical interest since it confirms the neurological diagnosis and strongly suggests the location of the primary tumor when the malignancy is unknown. The pathogenetic role of the antineuronal AB is unknown but it is likely that some paraneoplastic syndromes affecting the nervous system are due to an immune reaction against antigens shared by the tumor and the nervous system. To date, no efficient treatment has been found.
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PMID:[Autoimmunity and paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes]. 196 63

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rare complication of systemic cancer. PCD may present as a "pure", severe pan-cerebellar syndrome of subacute progression or be only one clinical feature in the setting of extensive CNS disease. The most characteristic form of "pure" PCD is associated with the presence of an anti-Purkinje cell antibody (AB), called anti-Yo, in patients with breast or ovarian cancer. The primary tumor is very often unknown when the cerebellar signs occur, and extensive investigations, including laparotomy or prolonged follow-up may be required to demonstrate its presence. More rarely, others AB than anti-Yo are discovered during PCD. Almost 50% of patients with "pure" PCD do not have circulating anti-neuronal AB. In the cases, the primary cancer is more often known and the clinical course of the cerebellar syndrome may be slower. Cerebellar degeneration may also occur during paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis. In this setting, the cerebellar signs which may be isolated at the onset, become associated with other signs of neuraxis involvement (limbic encephalitis, brainstem encephalitis, myelitis and particularly, subacute sensory neuronopathy) during the course of the disease. When a paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis is associated with a small cell lung cancer, an antineuronal AB called anti-Hu is frequently found. Finally PCD may be associated with the opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome with the Lambert-Eaton syndrome.
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PMID:[Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration]. 786 50

Immunodeficiencies may result from genetic defects or may be acquired after viral infection or therapeutic immunosuppression. In either case, neurological symptoms are frequent. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), previously designated as macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), results usually from genetic defects impairing the cytotoxicity of CD8 T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells. Neurological symptoms may be the first and only manifestation of the disease. The neurological and neuroradiological aspects of MAS, if isolated, may closely resemble those of other central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) or encephalitis. An early treatment including allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can prevent further brain lesions. The main infections of the CNS observed in conjunction with therapeutic immunosuppression are described. It is important to know which phase of immunosuppression the child is in at the time of suspected CNS infection and always to consider that a relapse of the primary tumor may mimic a CNS infection.
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PMID:Neurological expression of genetic immunodeficiencies and of opportunistic infections. 2362 32