title: Cytomegalovirus is not associated with IgM anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein/sulphate-3-glucuronyl paragloboside antibody-associated neuropathy.
abstract: Monoclonal antibodies reactive with the HNK-1 epitope of myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and the sulphate-3-glucuronyl paragloboside (SGPG)-like glycolipids are often found in the serum of patients with IgM paraprotein-associated demyelinating neuropathy. The presence of such antibodies in patients with chronic polyneuropathy has recently been associated with evidence of active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection by the polymerase chain reaction. We wished to test these findings and examined sera from patients with MAG-reactive or MAG-nonreactive paraproteinemic neuropathy and patients with paraproteinemia only for the presence of CMV DNA and anti-CMV antibodies. CMV DNA was not detected in sera from any patient group. Furthermore, anti-CMV antibody prevalence was normal and similar in all 3 groups. We therefore report no evidence of an association between CMV infection and anti-MAG/SGPG antibodies associated with paraproteinemic peripheral neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lunn
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muir
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: MacMahon
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Gregson
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005915:Globosides / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018992:Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D005915:Globosides; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D018992:Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein; C051917:sulfate-3-glucuronyl paragloboside