Assay

Paraneoplastic antibodies (Including: anti-Yo, anti-Hu, anti-Ri, anti-amphiphysin, anti-Ma2 and anti-CV2)

Key Words

Paraneoplastic antibodies, PNP

Specimen Collection

Serum (Brown)

Turnaround time

28 days(screen only)

Test indications

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are remote effects of cancer on the nervous system.  Examples include paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE), subacute sensory neuronopathy (SSN), paraneoplastic cerebellar degradation (SSN), paraneoplastic cerebellar degradation (PCD) and paraneoplastic opsoclonus-myoclonus (POM). Virtually any cancer can result in PNS but some cancers are more frequently encountered such as small cell lung carcinoma, breast and ovarian and plasma cell tumours. Patients with PNS often present with neurological symptoms before the underlying cancer is detected so it is therefore important to test for these antibodies in suspected PNS.  Results may aid direction to the source of the tumour.

Key - BE = brainstem encephalomyelitis; LE = limbic encephalomyelitis; OM =    opsoclonus/myclonus; PCD =   paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration; PEM = paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis; SN = sensory neuropathy; SPS = stiff person syndrome. (Hall and Yates, 2010)

All samples are screened by indirect immunofluorescence. For any positive screens confirmatory testing is ordered by the laboratory.

Methodology

Screening: Indirect Immunofluorescence

Confirmatory testing: Immunoblot

Interferences

No known methodological interferences

Reference Range

N/A

Analytical error

N/A

Reference change value

N/A