PNMA1: Proteins and Enzymes

PNMA1 (Paraneoplastic antigen MA1) is a protein that is highly restricted to the brain and testis. A paraneoplastic phenomenon is a disease or symptom that is the consequence of the presence of cancer in the body, but is not due to the local presence of cancer cells. These phenomena are mediated by humoral factors (by hormones or cytokines) excreted by tumor cells or by an immune response against the tumor. Sometimes the symptoms of paraneoplastic syndromes show even before the diagnosis of a malignancy. Paraneoplastic syndromes can be divided into 4 main categories: mucocutane paraneoplastic syndromes, neurological paraneoplastic syndromes, haematological paraneoplastic syndromes and endocrine metabolic syndromes. Antibodies against PNMA1 are present in sera from patients suffering from paraneoplastic neurological disorders.