Premium
A Case Report of the Efficient Reduction of Calcium Channel Antibodies by Tryptophan Ligand Immunoadsorption in a Patient With Lambert–Eaton Syndrome
Author(s) -
Sauter Matthias,
Bender Andreas,
Heller Florian,
Sitter Thomas
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
therapeutic apheresis and dialysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.415
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1744-9987
pISSN - 1744-9979
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-9987.2010.00806.x
Subject(s) - medicine , immunoadsorption , lambert eaton myasthenic syndrome , antibody , autoantibody , myasthenia gravis , neuromuscular transmission , prednisone , immunology , surgery
Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is a neuromuscular transmission disease caused by autoantibodies directed against voltage‐gated calcium channels (VGCC). We report on a patient with LEMS and a cerebellar syndrome associated with lymphatic proliferation in the thymus. As thymectomy and immunosuppressive therapy failed to efficiently reduce clinical symptoms and VGCC antibody titer, we performed immunoadsorption using a tryptophan‐ligand column for the first time. Repeated treatments resulted in a considerable decrease in antibody levels and a marked subjective and objective amelioration of LEMS as well as of the cerebellar symptoms.