HLA-DQ2+ individuals are susceptible to Hu-Ab associated paraneoplastic neurological syndromes

Background: Hypothetically, T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes associated with Hu-antibodies (Hu-PNS). Objective: To identify genetic risk factors for Hu-PNS and investigate the role of T cells. Methods: HLA-A, B, DRB1 and DQB1 alleles were compared in 53 Hu-PNS patients with 24 small-cell lung-cancer (SCLC) patients and 2440 healthy controls (HC). Results: The frequency of both HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DR3 was significantly higher in Hu-PNS patients than in HC. Conclusions: This study indicates an association between Hu-PNS and presence of HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DR3, which supports a role for CD4+T cells in the pathogenesis of Hu-PNS.