2025 Volume 42 Issue 3 Pages 394-398
Autoimmune cerebellar ataxia (ACA) is a rare disease of cerebellar ataxias. Despite its rarity, ACA is a condition that cannot be overlooked because of its responsibility to immunotherapy. ACA includes paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, which involves paraneoplastic neurological syndrome antibodies such as anti–Yo antibodies and anti–VGCC antibodies. Additionally, anti–neural antibodies, such as anti–GAD antibodies and anti–mGluR1 antibodies, are often detected in patients with non–paraneoplastic ACA. In recent decades, numerous anti–neural antibodies have been identified, highlighting their important role in ACA. Progress in understanding clinical features of ACA led to the publication of proposed diagnostic criteria for ACA in 2022 by J. Dalmau and F. Graus, which incorporate about 30 anti–neural antibodies. However, the range of anti–neural antibodies measurable in Japan has been limited. In this study, we aimed to enable the measurement of 17 anti–neural antibodies associated with ACA that were previously unmeasurable in Japan as of 2022. By January 2025, we developed a testing system using cell–based assays to measure 16 of these antibodies. The achievement marks a significant step forward in the management of ACA in Japan. By expanding the scope of measurable anti–neural antibodies, we aim to improve diagnostic accuracy and optimize therapeutic strategies for ACA patients.
