title: Long-term evolution of anti-ganglioside antibody levels in patient with chronic dysimmune neuropathy under IVIg therapy.
abstract: The authors retrospectively examined the anti-ganglioside antibody (AGA) IgM level changes from 14 patients with chronic dysimmune neuropathy (5 with multifocal motor neuropathy and 9 with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy) treated with maintenance doses of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg). The median follow-up was 5 years. At last follow-up, 93% of the patients had an increment of AGA levels, and five patients with initial AGA values within normal range became positive during follow-up. Overall, median AGA titers significantly increased from the first to the last samples, despite a substantial clinical stability after the initial improvement with IVIg. The AGA increment rate was inversely correlated with IVIg infusions interval necessary to maintain therapeutic efficacy. Thus, antibody testing in the follow-up of patients with dysimmune neuropathies may be helpful to predict the decline of IVIg efficacy and to identify those patients who eventually take advantage from an increase in infusion frequency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, Hospital of Careggi, viale Morgagni 85, 50139 Florence, Italy. masa@unifi.it
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matà
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Borsini
authors.forename: Annalucia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caldini
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Scisciolo
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piacentini
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taiuti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D005732:Gangliosides; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous