We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Reduction of Total Brain and Cerebellum Volumes Associated With Neuronal Autoantibodies in Patients With APECED.
- Authors
Meloni, Antonella; Corda, Giulia; Saba, Luca; Ferri, Gian-Luca; Mariotti, Stefano; Cocco, Cristina
- Abstract
<bold>Context: </bold>In autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), autoantibodies (AutoAbs) labeling brain neurons were reported; conversely, brain MRI alterations associated with these AutoAbs were never reported.<bold>Objectives: </bold>To describe brain alterations in APECED and to correlate them with AutoAbs against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and 5-tryptophan hydroxylase (5-HT) neurons.<bold>Design and Participants: </bold>Fourteen Sardinian patients with APECED and age-matched control subjects were recruited for MRI analysis and blood sampling to detect AutoAbs to GAD, TH, and 5-HT neurons by using rat brain sections. The majority of patients (n = 12) were investigated for AutoAbs a decade earlier, and 7 of 12 were positive for AutoAbs to GAD and TH neurons.<bold>Main Outcomes: </bold>Patients with APECED had smaller cerebellum and gray matter volumes, with a ventricular enlargement and a total cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) increase, compared with controls (P < 0.01). In 11 of 14 patients, brain abnormalities were associated with AutoAbs to GAD or TH neurons (titer 1:100 to 15,000) that had persisted for 10 years in 7 of 11 patients. AutoAbs to 5-HT neurons were revealed in all patients with AutoAbs to TH neurons. A decrease in whole brain and cerebellum volumes (P = 0.028) was associated with AutoAbs to GAD neurons, and a CSF increase was associated with AutoAbs to GAD and TH/5-HT neurons (P < 0.05). HLA alleles did not appear to be involved in neuronal autoimmunity.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Brain alterations and neuronal AutoAbs were observed in 78.6% of Sardinian patients with APECED, suggesting a brain autoimmune reaction. Prolonged clinical follow-up must be conducted for the possible appearance of clinical neurologic consequences.
- Publication
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2018, pN.PAG
- ISSN
0021-972X
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1210/jc.2018-01313