Jeanne Hendrickson•2015-12-05 12:52 PM
Some patients with diseases/symptoms that have been associated with the HPV vaccine (POTS, CRPS, CFS/ME, and gastrointestinal dysmotility) have laboratory evidence of autoimmunity. Implicated autoantibodies include those against nicotinic acetylcholine ganglionic receptors and surface binding neuronal receptors (such as those against G-protein coupled receptors including alpha adrenergic, beta adrenergic, and muscarinic receptors). In the US, Athena Diagnostics and the Mayo Medical Laboratories offer nicotinic acetylcholine ganglionic receptor autoantibody testing as part of their paraneoplastic or dysautonomia panels, respectively. Testing for alpha adrenergic, beta adrenergic, and muscarinic receptor autoantibodies is not readily available in the US, though an ELISA with recombinant G-protein coupled receptors expressed in CHO cells (Celltrend GmbH) is under development. Autoimmunity is not a psychogenic illness and I urge physicians caring for patients with these diseases/symptoms and parents of affected children to discuss whether testing for these autoantibodies may be warranted.
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