Anti-Hu antibodies in Merkel cell carcinoma

• Published in: Annals of neurology Vol. 52; no. 1; pp. 111 - 115
• Main Authors: Greenlee, John E., Steffens, John D., Clawson, Susan A., Hill, Kenneth, Dalmau, Josep
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.07.2002; Willey-Liss
• Subjects: Aged; Animals; Autoantibodies - analysis; Autoantibodies - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Merkel Cell - blood; Carcinoma, Merkel Cell - chemistry; Carcinoma, Merkel Cell - immunology; Carcinoma, Merkel Cell - pathology; Dermatology; ELAV Proteins; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - analysis; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Medical sciences; Nerve Tissue Proteins - blood; Nerve Tissue Proteins - immunology; Rats; RNA-Binding Proteins - blood; RNA-Binding Proteins - immunology; Skin Neoplasms - blood; Skin Neoplasms - chemistry; Skin Neoplasms - immunology; Skin Neoplasms - pathology; Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions; Case study; Human; Skin disease; Carcinoma; Merkel cell; Immunoblotting assay; Exploration; Paraneoplastic syndrome; Malignant tumor; Neuroendocrine tumor; Gene expression; Immunofluorescence
• ISSN: 0364-5134; 1531-8249
• DOI: 10.1002/ana.10225

Anti‐Hu antibody is an antineuronal autoantibody found in a subset of patients with paraneoplastic neurological disease. The antibody was first associated with small cell carcinoma of the lung and is most often used as a marker for this neoplasm in patients presenting with suspected paraneoplastic syndromes. Here we report a patient with a multifaceted neurological disorder in the setting of Merkel cell carcinoma. The patient's serum contained antibodies against the Hu antigen, and the expression of the Hu antigen was demonstrated in the patient's tumor.