DIAGNOSIS OF A NOVEL AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

The present inventions relates to a method for diagnosing a disease, preferably a disease associated with neurological symptoms and/or a cancer, comprising the step detecting in a sample from a patient an autoantibody binding to Neurochondrin; a polypeptide comprising Neurochondrin or a variant thereof, which is immobilized, preferably on a solid carrier; a use of a polypeptide comprising Neurochondrin or a variant thereof for the diagnosis of a disease, preferably comprising the step detecting autoantibodies binding to Neurochondrin; a polypeptide comprising Neurochondrin or a variant thereof, preferably immobilized, more preferably on a solid carrier, for use in the treatment of a disease; an autoantibody, preferably an isolated autoantibody, binding to a polypeptide comprising Neurochondrin, wherein the autoantibody is preferably in complex with said polypeptide or a variant thereof; A method for isolating an autoantibody binding to Neurochondrin, comprising the steps a) contacting a sample comprising the autoantibody with a polypeptide comprising Neurochondrin or a variant thereof under conditions compatible with formation of a complex, wherein said autoantibody binds to said polypeptide, b) isolating the complex formed in step a), c) dissociating the complex isolated in step b), and d) separating the autoantibody from the polypeptide; a pharmaceutical composition comprising a polypeptide comprising Neurochondrin or a variant thereof; a medical or diagnostic device comprising a polypeptide comprising Neurochondrin or a variant thereof; and a test kit for the diagnosis of a disease, comprising a polypeptide comprising Neurochondrin or a variant thereof, wherein preferably the test kit comprises, in addition, a means for detecting the complex comprising an autoantibody binding to Neurochondrin.