Antineuronal antibody-associated paraneoplastic neuropathy in Hodgkin's disease

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes in patients with Hodgkin's disease are rare findings. Subacute, paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration or autonomic dysfunctions were described before. In some of these cases, autoantibodies against central or peripheral nervous system structures were found in serum and CSF. We present a 30-year-old white male who developed a progredient, clinical and electrophysiological distal sensomotoric neuropathy. Six months after the beginning of the neurological disturbances, Hodgkin's disease (Stadium III BE) was diagnosed. Other reasons for neuropathy, such as direct impairment of the peripheral nervous system by tumor masses or drug-induced neuropathy, were excluded. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed a mild pleocytosis, elevated total protein (9.8 g/l) and identical oligoclonal bands in serum and CSF. Blood-CSF barrier damage was detected by Reiber formula. Indirect immunofluorescence and western blot analysis demonstrated an autoantibody against peripheral and central nervous system structures in serum and CSF. Although the autoantibody responded to a 38-40 kDa-protein in western blot and showed nuclear staining of myenteric plexus and Purkinje cell nuclei in the immunofluorescence test, this antibody was shown to be not identical to anti-Hu. An intrathecal synthesis of the antineuronal antibody was detected by antibody specificity index. Tumor therapy, plasmapheresis and treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins did not improve the neuropathy. According to our knowledge this is the first case of antineuronal antibody-associated sensomotoric neuropathy in Hodgkin's disease.