title: Anti-galactocerebroside testing in Mycoplasma pneumoniae-associated encephalitis.
abstract: Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) is the most frequently identified pathogen in the California Encephalitis Project, but the role and mechanism of Mp is unclear. Since auto-antibodies to anti-galactocerebroside (anti-GalC) have been reported in patients with evidence of acute Mp infection of the central nervous system (CNS), serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 26 patients with evidence of Mp were tested for anti-GalC antibodies. Anti-GalC antibody was found in the CSF of only eight (31%) of 21 Mp patients indicating that CSF anti-GalC antibody is not a specific marker for Mp CNS disease.
authors.affiliation: California Department of Health Services, Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Richmond, CA 948040, USA. lchristi@dhs.ca.gov
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honarmand
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Glaser
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005699:Galactosylceramides / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D005699:Galactosylceramides; C002454:galactocerebroside