Seronegative Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome: Study of 110 Japanese patients

• Published in: Neurology Vol. 59; no. 11; pp. 1773 - 1775
• Main Authors: NAKAO, Y. K, MOTOMURA, M, FUKUDOME, T, FUKUDA, T, SHIRAISHI, H, YOSHIMURA, T, TSUJIHATA, M, EGUCHI, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 10-12-2002
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases - etiology; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; Calcium Channels, P-Type - genetics; Calcium Channels, P-Type - immunology; Diseases of striated muscles. Neuromuscular diseases; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - analysis; Immunoglobulin G - pharmacology; Japan; Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome - blood; Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome - pathology; Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome - physiopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Membrane Potentials - drug effects; Membrane Potentials - physiology; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Middle Aged; Motor Endplate - drug effects; Motor Endplate - physiology; Neurologic Examination; Neurology; Synaptic Transmission - physiology; Japan; Human; Lung disease; Neuromuscular diseases; Nervous system diseases; Seropositivity; Carcinoma; Lambert Eaton syndrome; Respiratory disease; Antibody; Ionic channel; Malignant tumor; Bronchopulmonary; Myasthenia gravis; Calcium ion; Immunological investigation; Bronchus disease; Seronegativity; Paraneoplastic syndrome; Diagnosis; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0028-3878; 1526-632X
• DOI: 10.1212/01.WNL.0000037485.56217.5F

The authors characterized the clinical and immunologic features of 110 patients with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). Anti-P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) antibodies were detected in 85% of the patients (seropositive) but not in the rest (seronegative). Except for the indication that small cell lung carcinoma is less common in seronegative patients, no significant differences were found in the clinical characteristics of patients who had or did not have anti-P/Q-type VGCC antibodies. The results of passive transfer experiments suggest that seronegative LEMS is also an autoantibody-mediated disorder.