ANTI-GABAERGIC NEURON AUTOANTIBODIES IN A PATIENT WITH STIFF-MAN SYNDROME AND ATAXIA

We describe a patient with autoimmune insulin-dependent diabetes whose original symptoms of trunk stiffness and rigidity of the abdomen were followed three years later by a pancerebellar syndrome. An autoantibo dy (autoAb) against GABAergic neurons was found in the patient's serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); on Western blot, this autoAb recognize d a 64-kDa antigen of cerebellar protein. The detection of this antibo dy in a case with ataxia suggests that a spectrum of different neurolo gical diseases may be observed in patients harbouring anti-GABAergic n euron autoAb and supports the concept that factors other than autoAb c ontribute to the clinical presentation of these disorders.