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Serum samples from 36 of 48 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(75%)contained IgG that reacted with L-type calcium channel protein,and serum reactivity om ELISA correlated with the rate of disease progression(Spearman rank-correlation coefficient,0.62).Reactive serum was present in only 1 of 25 normal subjects and 1 of 35 control subjects with no motor neuron disease.Antibodies to L-type voltage-gated calcium channels were identified in 6 of 9 patients with Lambert-Eaton syndrome, and in 3 of 15 patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome.Antibodies to L-type voltage-gate calcium channels are present in the serum of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,and antibody titers correlate with the rate of disease progression.Together with previous data,these results suggest a role for autoimmune mechanisms in the pathogenesis of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. |
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