Quantification of antineural antibodies in autoimmune neurological disorders

Abstract

More than 50 different neurological pathologies have a confirmed or suspected autoimmune etiology affecting an estimated number of 75 million people worldwide. Autoantibodies are a useful diagnostic marker for most autoimmune diseases even though their pathological role is not evident, and several tests for their detection are commercially available. However, for autoimmune diseases involving the nervous system, lack of clear information on the identity of antineural antibody targets and the presence of many rare diseases have hampered the development of specific diagnostic assays. This review focuses on the actual knowledge on confirmed and suspected autoimmune diseases that target the CNS and the diagnostic relevance of corresponding antineural autoantibodies.

Keywords::

• antineural antibody
• autoantibody
• autoimmunity

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work has been supported by the SISTER program of the Regional Government of Friuli Venezia-Giulia, the National Ataxia Foundation-USA (to ET) and Progetto Giovani Ricercatori of the University of Trieste (to SB). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.