Expression of cerebellar degeneration-related proteins CDR2 and CDR2L in human and rat brain tissue.

Patients with ovarian cancer and paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, a cancer-related immune disorder, often have anti-Yo antibody. Here we studied the distributions of anti-Yo antigens CDR2L and CDR2 in rat and human brain using immunohistochemistry and western blot. CDR2L localized mainly to the Purkinje cells and large neurons scattered in the brain stem. CDR2 was detected in vascular smooth muscle cells of rat and human and in cells lining the ventricle system in rats. The observed distribution of CDR2L is compatible with the hypothesis that this antigen is the major target of anti-Yo. CDR2 and CDR2L are expressed by different cell subtypes.