The anti-GFAP autoimmunoreactivity described in our manuscript follows this path (unfortunately we have not been able to include coeruleus tissue into our investigation), suggesting that anti-GFAP autoantibodies might be involved in PD pathogenesis: our findings support the hypothesis that anti-GFAP autoantibodies may acquire pathophysiological significance under certain conditions, such as transient permeability of the blood–brain barrier (Levin et al 2010). Here, GFAP is linked to Parkinson disease.