TY - JOUR
T1 - Neural autoantibody profile of primary achalasia
AU - Kraichely, Robert E.
AU - Farrugia, Gianrico
AU - Pittock, Sean J.
AU - Castell, Donald O.
AU - Lennon, Vanda A.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments We thank Carissa Dege and Sue Nodtvedt for excellent technical assistance. This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health DK068055, DK 71209, DK52766, DK57061, and DK65154.
PY - 2010/2
Y1 - 2010/2
N2 - The etiology and pathogenesis of primary achalasia are both unknown. Postulated mechanisms include autoimmune, viral-immune, and central neurodegenerative. The aim of this study is to investigate the serum profile of neural autoantibodies in patients with primary achalasia. Coded sera from 70 patients with primary achalasia and 161 healthy control subjects, matched in sex, age, and smoking habits, were screened for antibodies targeting neuronal, glial, and muscle autoantigens. No specific myenteric neuronal antibody was identified. However, the overall prevalence of neural autoantibodies in patients with primary achalasia was significantly higher than in healthy control subjects (25.7 vs. 4.4%, P < 0.0001). Most noteworthy was the 21.4% frequency of glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 antibody in patients with achalasia (versus 2.5% in control subjects), in the absence of diabetes or companion antibodies predictive of type 1 diabetes. This profile of autoantibodies suggests an autoimmune basis for a subset of primary achalasia.
AB - The etiology and pathogenesis of primary achalasia are both unknown. Postulated mechanisms include autoimmune, viral-immune, and central neurodegenerative. The aim of this study is to investigate the serum profile of neural autoantibodies in patients with primary achalasia. Coded sera from 70 patients with primary achalasia and 161 healthy control subjects, matched in sex, age, and smoking habits, were screened for antibodies targeting neuronal, glial, and muscle autoantigens. No specific myenteric neuronal antibody was identified. However, the overall prevalence of neural autoantibodies in patients with primary achalasia was significantly higher than in healthy control subjects (25.7 vs. 4.4%, P < 0.0001). Most noteworthy was the 21.4% frequency of glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 antibody in patients with achalasia (versus 2.5% in control subjects), in the absence of diabetes or companion antibodies predictive of type 1 diabetes. This profile of autoantibodies suggests an autoimmune basis for a subset of primary achalasia.
KW - Achalasia
KW - Autoimmune
KW - Autoimmune gastrointestinal dysmotility
KW - Glutamic acid decarboxylase-65
KW - Neural autoantibodies
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U2 - 10.1007/s10620-009-0838-9
DO - 10.1007/s10620-009-0838-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 19499338
AN - SCOPUS:76849113947
SN - 0163-2116
VL - 55
SP - 307
EP - 311
JO - Digestive diseases and sciences
JF - Digestive diseases and sciences
IS - 2
ER -