title: Serum IgG and IgM ganglioside GM1 antibodies in patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In order to obtain more information concerning the pathogenic significance of ganglioside GM1 in multiple sclerosis serum polyclonal IgG and IgM antibodies to GM1 were evaluated in multiple sclerosis patients with relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive forms of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The evaluated sera were from 55 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis and from 20 healthy subjects. Forty-two of patients were with relapsing-remitting and 13 with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Antibodies to GM1 were measured using a modification of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique of Mizutamari et al (1994).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistically significant difference of serum IgG antibody titres to GM1 was found between the healthy subjects and the multiple sclerosis patients with relapsing-remitting form of the disease (p = 0.04), as well as of serum IgG antibody titres to GM1 between the patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in relapse and in remission (p = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bearing in mind the heterogeneity of multiple sclerosis, the pathogenic significance of serum antibodies to GM1 should be interpreted concerning the precise clinical form of the disease and not the whole group of MS patients. The findings in this study argue for the possible involvement of ganglioside GM1 in the pathogenesis of demyelination in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Morphology and Anthropology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, G. Bonchev str., bl. 25. Sofia, B-1113 Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zaprianova
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Majtényi
authors.forename: Denislava
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deleva
authors.forename: Olia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mikova
authors.forename: Andon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Filchev
authors.forename: Borislav
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sultanov
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kolyovska
authors.forename: Emil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sultanov
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Christova
authors.forename: Xenia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kmetska
authors.forename: Dimitar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Georgiev
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology*; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000276:immunology; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside