Ganglioside agglutination immunoassay for rapid detection of autoantibodies in immune-mediated neuropathy.
Elevated levels of serum autoantibodies directed against gangliosides are closely associated with acute and chronic autoimmune neuropathies. An agglutination immunoassay using polystyrene microparticles coated with a total extract of brain gangliosides was used to test patient sera for the presence of anti-ganglioside antibodies. Results were compared with those obtained by ELISA for anti-GM1 and anti-GQ1b ganglioside antibodies. Eight of the twelve sera from patients with multifocal motor neuropathy and seven of the thirteen sera from patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome were positive for the presence of anti-ganglioside antibodies by the ganglioside agglutination immunoassay. The assay compared favorably with the ELISA system in sensitivity and specificity, while requiring a fraction of the time and cost to perform. The new assay can serve as a rapid and effective method for detecting or screening for anti-ganglioside antibodies in patients with acute or chronic immune-mediated neuropathies. It would be particularly useful for detecting antibodies that react with multiple gangliosides, or with minor or as yet uncharacterized gangliosides.
Alaedini
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A
Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA. aa819@columbia.edu
Wirguin
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I
Latov
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N
D000371:Agglutination / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D020274:Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D005732:Gangliosides; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside; C039129:GQ1b ganglioside