title: Is IgG anti-GT1a antibody associated with pharyngeal-cervical-brachial weakness or oropharyngeal palsy in Guillain-Barré syndrome?
abstract: The pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant (PCB) of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has clinical features similar to those of botulism and diphtheria. Mizoguchi et al. (1994) [Mizoguchi, K., Hase, A., Obi, T., Matsuoka, H., Takatsu, M., Nishimura, Y., Irie, F., Seyama, Y., Hirabayashi, Y., 1994. Two species of antiganglioside antibodies in a patient with a pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 57, 1121-1123] reported a patient with PCB-like symptoms who had serum IgG anti-GT1a antibodies which did not cross-react with GQ1b. We assumed that PCB is associated with anti-GT1a antibodies that do not have reactivity to GQ1b and made a serological study of a PCB patient. We searched for PCB patients prospectively and found one with PCB. This patient had IgG anti-GT1a antibodies which were not absorbed with GQ1b in an absorption study, whereas IgG anti-GT1a antibodies from Fisher's syndrome patients were. The frequency of positive IgG anti-GT1a antibody did not differ in patients with and without bulbar palsy. Our findings indicate that IgG anti-GT1a antibodies which do not cross-react with GQ1b are specifically detectable in PCB and can be used as a diagnostic marker of PCB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Shimotsuga, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yuki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ariga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morimatsu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010244:Bulbar Palsy, Progressive / Q000276:immunology*; D002572:Cervical Plexus / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000276:immunology; D010609:Pharyngeal Muscles / Q000276:immunology / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000276:immunology*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D005732:Gangliosides; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; C016481:trisialoganglioside GT1; C039129:GQ1b ganglioside