REVIEW Stop testing for autoantibodies to Pract Neurol: first published as 10.1136/practneurol-2019-002494 on 28 June 2020. Downloaded from the VGKC-complex: only request LGI1 and CASPR2 Sophia Michael,1,2 Patrick Waters ,1 Sarosh R Irani 1,2 1Oxford Autoimmune Neurology ABSTRACT This prediction was directly tested with Group, Nuffield Department of Autoantibodies to leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 alpha-dendrotoxin (α-DTX), a neurotoxin Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK (LGI1) and contactin-associated protein like-2 derived from green mamba snake venom. α- 2Department of Neurology, John (CASPR2) are associated with clinically distinctive DTX labels Kv1.1, 1.2 and 1.6 potassium Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford syndromes that are highly immunotherapy channels and was radioiodinated to label University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK responsive, such as limbic encephalitis, faciobrachial soluble mammalian brain extracts upon dystonic seizures, Morvan’ssyndromeand establishment of the VGKC antibody radio- Correspondence to neuromyotonia. These autoantibodies target immunoassay. This radioimmunoassay Prof Sarosh R Irani, Oxford Autoimmune Neurology Group, surface-exposed domains of LGI1 or CASPR2, and detected serum or cerebrospinal fluid auto- Nuffield Department of Clinical appear to be directly pathogenic. In contrast, antibodies that precipitated iodinated α- Neurosciences, University of voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) antibodies DTX. Hence, these autoantibodies were ori- Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; 23
[email protected] that lack LGI1 or CASPR2 reactivities (‘double- ginallythoughttobindVGKCs, and some negative’) are common in healthy controls and have reports even showed IgG from patients Accepted 30 April 2020 no consistent associations with distinct syndromes.