Neuroimmunology Registry and Biobank

Condition(s) studied

Study summary

A variety of antineuronal antibodies have been detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with neurological diseases. This raises the question of whether these antibodies are disease-specific or merely an epiphenomenon of inflammatory processes in the brain.

The registry was established with the following objectives: \[1\] Are antineuronal antibodies much more common than previously thought in various neurological disorders for which the etiology has not yet been elucidated? \[2\] Can further correlations, such as those between HSV infection and NMDA receptor autoimmunity, be identified? \[3\] Are these antibodies mainly non-specific epiphenomena or are they crucial for the pathogenesis? \[4\] What is the clinical course of patients with antineuronal antibodies and their response to therapy? These questions will be addressed in a broad immunohistological screening of a large number of CSF samples and a clinical database of patients with neurological disorders.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Screening for a panel of anti-neuronal antibodies via commercial assays — at recruitment
  The investigators use this commercial test battery to identify whether the CSF of the patients contains known anti-neuronal antibodies. The tests will be perfromed by Euroimmune (Lübeck, Germany). If positive, the result will be the kind of the antibody and its titer.
• Screening for unknown anti-neuronal antibodies via immunofluorescence staining on fresh mouse brain (tissue-based assay, TBA) — at recruitment
  The tissue-based assay is a non-specific screening method for anti-neuronal antibodies. The investigators stain freshly cryosectioned mouse brain with patient cerebrospinal fluid at various dilutions and counterstain the sample with fluorescently labelled anti-human IgG antibodies. The sample is then imaged using fluorescence microscopy. The recorded measure will be the presence and quality of a characteristic staining pattern (cell population stained by the patient CSF) or its absence.
• Determination of the molecular weight of the antibody target — at recruitment
  If the tissue based assay (TBA) is positive for a cell surface signal, the investigators will use Western blot to determine the molecular weight after staining mouse brain homogenates with patient CSF and secondary anti human anti-IgG antibodies
• CSF cell count — at recruitment
  Counting and differentiating the cells found in the patient's CSF. Cell number given as "cell number per microliter". The cell type will ge given as "mononuclear cells" or "polymorph-nuclear cells"
• CSF protein — at recruitment
  Measuring the protein content in the patient's CSF. The result will be given as "mg protein per ml CSF".
• CSF albumin — at recruitment
  Measuring the albumin content in the patient's CSF. The result will be given as "mg albumin per ml CSF".
• CSF glucose — at recruitment
  Measuring the glucose content in the patient's CSF. The result will be given as "mg glucose per liter CSF".
• CSF lactate — at recruitment
  Measuring the lactate content in the patient's CSF. The result will be given as "mg lactate per liter CSF".
• CSF IgG — at recruitment
  Measuring the total IgG content in the patient's CSF. The result will be given as "mg IgG per liter CSF".
• CSF oligoclonal bands — at recruitment
  An electrophoresis of the patient CSF and subsequent Coomassie staining will reveal oligoclonal bande in the patient's CSF. As a result the investigators record the "presence" or "absence" of oligoclonal bands

Trial sites (2)

More Charite University, Berlin, Germany trials in Germany

Other trials for the same condition