title: Anti-GD1a ganglioside antibodies in peripheral motor syndromes.
abstract: High titers of anti-GD1a antibodies have been found in patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome or motor neuropathy. To determine the possible diagnostic relevance of these antibodies, we measured serum anti-GD1a IgG and IgM antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 195 patients with different motor syndromes and in 335 control subjects. Moderately high antibody titers (1/1,280-1/5,120) were occasionally found in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (5%), multifocal motor neuropathy (18%), lower motor neuron disease (3.8%), or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (1.8%) and in immunological control subjects (1.2%), while titers of 1/20,480 or higher were only found in 2 patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (IgG in both) and 2 with motor neuropathy and IgM lambda monoclonal gammopathy improving with immunotherapy. In both motor neuropathy patients and the Guillain-Barre syndrome patient who were retested during recovery, anti-GD1a titers decreased concomitantly with clinical improvement. High anti-GD1a antibody titers may be found in several motor syndromes but only markedly increased anti-GD1a titers are strictly associated with potentially treatable dysimmune neuropathies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Neurology, Centro Dino Ferrari, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carpo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nobile-Orazio
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meucci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gamba
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Allaria
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scarlato
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D005732:Gangliosides; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; C021298:ganglioside, GD1a