Diagnosis of a novel autoimmune disease

Abstract

Polypeptides including Neurochondrin and autoantibodies binding to polypeptides including Neurochondrin are provided. Methods for diagnosing or treating diseases associated with neurological symptoms or cancers are also provided. The methods of diagnosis may include detecting an autoantibody binding to Neurochondrin in a sample from a patient. The methods of treatment may include administering a polypeptide comprising Neurochondrin to a patient.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of detecting an autoantibody to Neurochondrin in a subject, the method comprising:
 contacting a bodily fluid sample isolated from a subject having cerebellar ataxia or cerebellitis with a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleic acid sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the polypeptide is selected from at least one of a recombinant polypeptide and an isolated polypeptide; and   detecting the presence or absence of the autoantibody to Neurochondrin in a complex with the polypeptide.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , the stringent conditions comprising a salt concentration and a washing temperature, wherein the salt concentration is selected from between about 0.1×SSC to about 2×SSC and the washing temperature is selected from between about 50° C. to about 68° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:9. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the polypeptide is immobilized on a solid carrier. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the solid carrier is selected from at least one of glass plates, slides, biochips, microtiter plates, magnetic beads, chromatography columns, and membranes. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the polypeptide is provided in the form of an isolated cell comprising a nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide or in the form of an isolated tissue comprising the polypeptide. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the subject is at least one of a human and a mammal. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the detecting the presence or absence of the autoantibody to Neurochondrin in a complex with the polypeptide comprises the use of a secondary antibody. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the detecting the presence or absence of the autoantibody to Neurochondrin in a complex with the polypeptide comprises the use of at least one immunoassay technique selected from radioimmunoassay, western blot, line blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), direct immunofluorescence, and indirect immunofluorescence. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the bodily fluid is selected from the group comprising cerebrospinal fluid, whole blood, blood serum, lymph, interstitial fluid, and saliva. 
     
     
         26 . A method of detecting an autoantibody to Neurochondrin in a subject, the method comprising:
 contacting a bodily fluid sample isolated from a subject having cerebellar ataxia or cerebellitis with a polypeptide comprising Neurochondrin or a variant thereof, wherein the polypeptide is selected from at least one of a recombinant polypeptide and an isolated polypeptide; and   detecting the presence or absence of the autoantibody to Neurochondrin in a complex with the polypeptide.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the variant comprises an amino acid sequence having at least about 90% sequence identity to Neurochondrin. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the variant comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, and SEQ ID NO:9. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the polypeptide is immobilized on a solid carrier. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the solid carrier is selected from at least one of glass plates, slides, biochips, microtiter plates, magnetic beads, chromatography columns, and membranes. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the polypeptide is provided in the form of an isolated cell comprising a nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide or in the form of an isolated tissue comprising the polypeptide. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the subject is at least one of a human and a mammal. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the detecting the presence or absence of the autoantibody to Neurochondrin in a complex with the polypeptide comprises the use of a secondary antibody. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the detecting the presence or absence of the autoantibody to Neurochondrin in a complex with the polypeptide comprises the use of at least one immunoassay technique selected from radioimmunoassay, western blot, line blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), direct immunofluorescence, and indirect immunofluorescence. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the bodily fluid is selected from the group comprising cerebrospinal fluid, whole blood, blood serum, lymph, interstitial fluid, and saliva. 
     
     
         36 . A method of detecting a complex comprising an autoantibody bound to a polypeptide, the method comprising:
 contacting a bodily fluid sample isolated from a subject having cerebellar ataxia or cerebellitis with a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleic acid sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the polypeptide is selected from at least one of a recombinant polypeptide and an isolated polypeptide, and   detecting whether at least one complex comprising the autoantibody bound to the polypeptide is present in the bodily fluid sample.