title: Increased circulating T cell reactivity to GM1 ganglioside in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome.
abstract: This study was performed to determine whether increased ganglioside-specific T cell reactivity can be detected in the peripheral blood of patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). T cell responsiveness to the gangliosides GM1, GM3, GD1a, GD1b, GD3, GT1b, GQ1b and sulphatide was assessed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from untreated GBS patients (57), CIDP patients (43), patients with other peripheral neuropathies (55) and healthy control subjects (74) in a standard 6-day proliferation assay. Increased T cell reactivity to GM1 occurred in GBS patients compared to healthy controls and patients with other neuropathies. There was increased reactivity to GM3 in GBS patients compared to patients with other neuropathies but not compared to healthy controls. The frequencies of increased T cell reactivity to GM1 and GM3 in CIDP patients were intermediate between those of GBS patients and controls. We suggest that T cell reactivity to gangliosides might play a contributory role in the pathogenesis of GBS and perhaps CIDP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Csurhes
authors.forename: Alice-Ann
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Kerryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Judith M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Greer
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Pender
authors.forename: Pamela A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: McCombe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside