Method Description

Cell-Binding Assay:

Patient specimen is applied to a composite slide containing transfected and nontransfected HEK-293 cells. After incubation and washing, fluorescein-conjugated goat-antihuman IgG is applied to detect the presence of patient IgG binding.(Package insert: IIFT: Neurology Mosaics, Instructions for the indirect immunofluorescence test. EUROIMMUN; FA_112d-1_A_UK_C13, 02/25/2019)

Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay:

The patient's sample is tested by a standardized immunofluorescence assay that uses a composite frozen section of mouse cerebellum, kidney, and gut tissues. After incubation with sample and washing, fluorescein-conjugated goat-antihuman IgG is applied. Neuron-specific autoantibodies are identified by their characteristic fluorescence staining patterns. Samples that are scored positive for any neuronal nuclear or cytoplasmic autoantibody are titrated to an endpoint. Interference by coexisting non-neuron-specific autoantibodies can usually be eliminated by serologic absorption.(Honorat JA, Komorowski L, Josephs KA, et al. IgLON5 antibody: neurological accompaniments and outcomes in 20 patients. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2017;4(5):e385. doi:10.1212/NXI.0000000000000385)

Radioimmunoassay:

(125)I-labeled recombinant human antigens or labeled receptors are incubated with patient specimen. After incubation, anti-human IgG is added to form an immunoprecipitate. The amount of (125)I-labeled antigen in the immunoprecipitate is measured using a gamma-counter. The amount of gamma emission in the precipitate is proportional to the amount of antigen-specific IgG in the specimen. Results are reported as units of precipitated antigen (nmol) per liter of patient sample.(Griesmann GE, Kryzer TJ, Lennon VA. Autoantibody profiles of myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome. In: Rose NR, Hamilton RG, et al, eds. Manual of Clinical and Laboratory Immunology. 6th ed. ASM Press, 2002:1005-1012; Walikonis JE, Lennon VA. Radioimmunoassay for glutamic acid decarboxylase [GAD65] autoantibodies as a diagnostic aid for stiff-man syndrome and a correlate of susceptibility to type 1 diabetes mellitus. Mayo Clin Proc. 1998;73[12]:1161-1166. doi:10.4065/73.12.1161; Jones AL, Flanagan EP, Pittock SJ, et al. Responses to and outcomes of treatment of autoimmune cerebellar ataxia in adults. JAMA Neurol. 2015;72[11]:1304-1312. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.2378)

Western Blot:

Neuronal antigens extracted aqueously from adult rat cerebellum, full-length recombinant human collapsin response-mediator protein-5 (CRMP-5), or full-length recombinant human amphiphysin protein is denatured, reduced, and separated by electrophoresis on 10% polyacrylamide gel. IgG is detected autoradiographically by enhanced chemiluminescence.(Yu Z, Kryzer TJ, Griesmann GE, Kim K, Benarroch EE, Lennon VA. CRMP-5 neuronal autoantibody: marker of lung cancer and thymoma-related autoimmunity. Ann Neurol. 2001;49[2]:145-154; Dubey D, Jitprapaikulsan J, Bi H, et al. Amphiphysin-IgG autoimmune neuropathy: a recognizable clinicopathologic syndrome. Neurology. 2019;93[20]:e1873-e1880. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000008472)

Immunoblot:

All steps are performed at room temperature (18-28° C) utilizing the EUROBlot One instrument. Diluted patient specimens (1:12.5) are added to test strips (strips containing recombinant antigen manufactured and purified using biochemical methods) in individual channels and incubated for 30 minutes. Positive specimens will bind to the purified recombinant antigen, and negative specimens will not bind. Strips are washed to remove unbound antibodies and then incubated with anti-human IgG antibodies (alkaline phosphatase-labeled) for 30 minutes. The strips are again washed to remove unbound anti-human IgG antibodies, and nitroblue tetrazolium chloride/5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolylphosphate substrate is added. Alkaline phosphatase enzyme converts the soluble substrate into a colored insoluble product on the membrane to produce a black band. Strips are digitized via picture capture on the EUROBlot One instrument and evaluated with the EUROLineScan software.(O'Connor K, Waters P, Komorowski L, et al. GABAA receptor autoimmunity: a multicenter experience. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2019;6[3]:e552. doi:10.1212/NXI.0000000000000552)

Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting Assay/Flow Cytometry:

Human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293) are transfected transiently with a plasmid (pIRES2-Aequorea coerulescens green fluorescent protein [AcGFP]) encoding both green fluorescent protein (AcGFP) and AQP4-M1. After 36 hours, a mixed population of cells (transfected expressing AQP4 on the surface and AcGFP in the cytoplasm and nontransfected lacking AQP4 and AcGFP) are lifted and resuspended in live cell binding buffer. Patient specimen is then added to cells at a 1 in 5 screening dilution. After incubation and washing, the cells are resuspended in secondary antibody (AlexaFluor 647-conjugated goat-antihuman IgG; 1:2000 in LCBB), held on ice, washed, fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde, and analyzed by flow cytometry (BD FACSCanto; Becton, Dickinson, and Co). Two populations are gated based on AcGFP expression: positive (high AQP4 expression) and negative (low or no AQP4 expression). The median Alexafluor 647 fluorescence intensity (MFI) for the AcGFP-positive population indicates the relative abundance of human IgG potentially bound to AQP4 surface epitopes; MFI for the GFP-negative population indicated nonspecifically-bound IgG. The IgG binding index is calculated as the ratio of the average MFI for duplicate aliquots of each cell population (MFI GFP positive/MFI GFP negative). We established conservative cutoff IgG binding index values of 2.00 for M1-FACS.(Fryer JP, Lennon VP, Pittock SJ, et al. AQP4 autoantibody assay performance in clinical laboratory service. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2014;1[1]:e11. doi:10.1212/NXI.0000000000000011)

If the fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) assay is positive at screening dilution, FACS titer assay is performed at an additional charge. The patient specimen is titrated to endpoint. The dilution where the IgG binding index is greater than or equal to 2, is considered the endpoint dilution. If a patient is positive at a 1:5 dilution, but negative at 1:10 dilution, the endpoint will be reported as 5.