Polinsky R J, McRae A, Baser S M, Dahlström A
Clinical Neuropharmacology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
J Neurol Sci. 1991 Nov;106(1):96-104. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(91)90201-h.
Idiopathic chronic autonomic dysfunction may occur as pure autonomic failure (PAF) or in association with multiple system atrophy (MSA). CSF immunoreactivity to rat locus ceruleus occurred in a significantly greater number of samples from MSA patients compared to control subjects or patients with PAF. Other brain regions infrequently showed immunoreactivity. These findings suggest that degeneration in MSA may release antigen(s) that induce antibodies against locus ceruleus neurons. Further studies are required to determine whether immune abnormalities play a pathogenetic role in MSA. Lack of CSF immunoreactivity in PAF is consistent with primarily peripheral involvement.
