The sera from GM1 ganglioside antibody positive patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy blocks Na+ currents in rat single myelinated nerve fibers.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the possible role of anti-GM1 ganglioside antisera from patients with Gullain-Barr*e syndrome (GBS) or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in the development of nerve dysfunction.


METHODS
The effect of the anti-GM1 antibody positive antisera obtained from 4 GBS patients and 1 CIDP patient on membrane potential and ionic currents in rat single myelinated nerve fibers was investigated using the voltage clamp technique and compared with that of the anti-GM1 negative antisera obtained from 3 healthy controls and 2 GBS patients.


RESULTS
In the presence of active complement, anti-GM1 positive antisera from 5 patients including 4 GBS patients and 1 CIDP patient significantly suppressed Na+ current more than anti-GM1 negative antisera.


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the notion that anti-GM1 antibody is one of the causative factors of conduction abnormality in GBS patients.
Takigawa
T
T
Third Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu.
Yasuda
H
H
Terada
M
M
Haneda
M
M
Kashiwagi
A
A
Saito
T
T
Saida
T
T
Kitasato
H
H
Kikkawa
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology*; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000276:immunology*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects*
D007106:Immune Sera; D015221:Potassium Channels; D015222:Sodium Channels; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside; D012964:Sodium