title: GM 1 antibodies in Guillain-Barré syndrome: isotypes, course and clinical outcome.
abstract: IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies against ganglioside GM 1 were investigated in sera of 15 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), as compared with healthy controls. Significantly raised titers were found in 4 patients who showed persisting weakness due to muscle wasting (3 patients) or due to the development of a chronic relapsing form of GBS (1 patient) after a follow up period of 1 year. By contrast, only 1 out of 11 anti-GM 1 seronegative patients showed persisting muscle wasting. In 1 patient with GBS following Campylobacter jejuni enteritis an IgA anti-GM 1 immune response was found to predominate, suggesting that this immune response may be due to crossreactivity between GM 1 and Campylobacter antigens. We conclude that elevated antibody titers against ganglioside GM 1 may be a valuable marker to predict poor motor recovery in GBS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Landesnervenklinik Gugging, Klosterneuburg.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seiser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pötzl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Safoschnik
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pichler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bernheimer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schwerer
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000032:analysis*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside