John E. Greenlee, MD

Within the division, I focus on . . .

The role of antineuronal antibodies in the pathogenesis of paraneoplastic neurological disease.

View my faculty profile here.

Current Research Projects & Funding

• Mechanisms of antibody uptake paraneoplastic neurological disease
• Effects of antineuronal antibodies on neuronal destruction in paraneoplastic neurological disease

I see patients at . . .

As Professor Emeritus I no longer see patients.

Key Publications

Representative publications relevant to neuro-infectious disease

1. Greenlee, JE: Pathogenesis of K virus infection in newborn mice. Infect Immun 26:705-713, 1979. PMID: 397932
2. Greenlee JE, and Dodd, WK: Reactivation of persistent K-papovavirus infection in immunosuppressed mice. J Virol 51:425-429, 1984. PMID: 6379207
3. Whitley RJ, Alford CA, Hirsch MS, Schooley RT, Luby JP, Aoki FY, Hanley D, Nahmias AJ, Soong SJ, and the NIAID Collaborative Antiviral study Group (JE Greenlee, Member). Vidarabine versus acyclovir therapy in herpes simplex encephalitis. New Engl J Med 314:144-149, 1986. PMID: 3001520
4. Greenlee JE and Keeney PM. Immunoperoxidase labelling of JC papovavirus T antigen in brains of patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Acta Neuropathol 71:150-153, 1986 PMID: 3022533
5. Greenlee JE, Phelps R, Stroop WG. The major site of murine K-papovavirus persistence and reactivation is the renal tubular epithelium. Microbial Pathogenesis: 11:237-247, 1991. PMID: 1813776
6. O’Neill FJ, Greenlee JE, Dörries, K, Clawson SA and Carney H. Propagation of archetype and non-archetype JC virus variants in human fetal brain cultures: Demonstration of interference activity by archetype JCV. J Neurovirol.: 9:567-576, 2003. PMID: 13129771
7. Wilson MR, O’Donovan BD, Gelfand JM, Sample HA, Chow F. , Betjemann JP, Shah M, Richie MB, Gorman M, Hajj-Ali RA, Calabrese LH, Zorn KC, Greenlee JE, Blum JH, Green G, Khan LM, Banerji D, Langelier C, Bryson-Cahn C, Harrington W, Lingappa JR, Shanbhag NM, Green AJ, Brew BJ, Soldatos A, Strnad L, Doernberg SB, Jay CA, Douglas V, Josephson SA, Joseph L. DeRisi JL. Metagenomics for chronic meningitis: simplifying interpretation and diagnosis. JAMA Neurology; April 16, 2018. PMID: 29710329
8. Villani LA, Stulberg EL, Abbatemarco JR, Davidson CJ, Kadish R, Renner DR, Paz Soldan MM, Rose JW, Clardy SL, Greenlee JE. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy: first reported case in a patient with discoid lupus: failure of virus detection by CSF PCR in an HIV negative individual. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 209:106843, 2021. PMID: 34461360

Representative publications relevant to autoimmune neurology and paraneoplastic neurological disease

1. Greenlee JE, and Brashear HR: Antibodies to cerebellar Purkinje cells in patients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration and ovarian carcinoma. Ann Neurol 14:604-613, 1983. PMID: 6360029
2. Greenlee JE and Lipton HL. Anti-cerebellar antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with oat cell carcinoma of the lung and paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration. Ann Neurol 19:82-85, 1986. PMID: 3004320
3. Greenlee JE, Parks TN, Jaeckle KA. Type IIA ("Anti-Hu) antibodies, associated with human paraneoplastic syndromes, are taken up by and produce destruction of cultured rat granule cell neurons. Neurology, 43:2049-54, 1993. PMID: 8413965
4. Greenlee JE, Burns JB, Rose JW, Jaeckle KA, Clawson C. Systemically administered Type I ("Anti-Yo") IgG, associated with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, is taken up by rat Purkinje cells in vivo. Acta Neuropathologica;342-345, 1995. PMID: 7610765
5. Greenlee JE, Carlson NG, Abbatemarco JR, Herdlevaer I, Clardy SL, Vedeler CA. Paraneoplastic and other autoimmune encephalitides: antineuronal antibodies, T lymphocytes, and questions of pathogenesis. Front Neurol: January 25, 2022. PMID: 35111121
6. Greenlee JE, Clawson SA, Hill KE, Wood B, Clardy SL, Tsunoda I, Carlson NG. Anti-Yo antibody interaction with its intracellular target antigen leads to targeted Purkinje cell death in rat cerebellar slice cultures: a possible mechanism for paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in humans with gynecological or breast cancers. PLOSone April 17, 2015. PMID: 25885452
7. Greenlee JE, Clawson SA, Hill KE, Wood B, Clardy SL, Tsunoda I, Jaskowski TD, Carlson NG. Neuronal Uptake of Anti-Hu Antibody, but not Anti-Ri Antibody, Leads to Cell Death in Brain Slice Cultures. 2014: J Neuroinflammation Sep 17;11(1):160, 2014. PMID: 25228406
8. Greenlee JE, Clawson SA, Hill KE, Wood BL, Tsunoda I, Carlson NG. Purkinje Cell Death after Uptake of Anti-Yo Antibodies in Cerebellar Slice Cultures. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 69:997-1007, 2010. PMID: 20838245
9. Hill KE, Clawson SA, Rose JW, Carlson NG, Greenlee JE. Cerebellar Purkinje cells incorporate immunoglobulins and immunotoxins in vitro: implications for human neurological disease and immunotherapeutics. Journal of Neuroinflammation 6:39, 2009. PMID: 19874605
10. Jaffe SL, Carlson NG, Greenlee JE. Treatment responsive primary autoimmune cerebellar ataxia with IgG and IgM anticerebellar antibodies European Journal of Neurology. 28:1771-1773, 2021. PMID: 33253468

Professional Affiliations & Leadership Roles

• American Academy of Neurology (Fellow)
• American Neurological Association (Fellow)

Why choose Autoimmune Neurology at Utah? 

I joined the Neurology faculty at the University of Utah in 1986, long before establishment of the division of Neuroimmunology and Autoimmune Neurology. What attracted me in 1986 still applies: a supportive environment, an exceptional patient population (we serve roughly 10% of the land area of the United States), excellent collaboration within the department and division, ability to work easily with other departments, and a wonderful group of colleagues. Added to that has been the opportunity to help in developing one of the nation’s best neuroimmunology programs. For patients, this is a superb place to receive care. For residents and fellows this is a wonderful place to train and to begin a career.