Antibodies against gangliosides in patients with dementia.
BACKGROUND
Increasing evidence suggests that gangliosides act as important mediators in both de- and remyelination. The scope of the present research was to investigate the presence of immunoglobulin (Ig) M antibodies against GM1, GD1b, and GQ1b gangliosides in the sera of patients with dementia and the possible connection with clinical parameters of the disease.


METHODS
This research topic demonstrates the investigation of 103 patients with dementia and 60 healthy individuals using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the presence of 3 antiganglioside antibodies in their sera.


RESULTS
The authors report a positive connection between IgM anti-GM1 and the age (P = .005) and the severity of dementia (P = .005). Most of the patients who revealed increased IgM anti-GD1b levels had Alzheimer's disease (AD; P = .002).


CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that elevated IgM anti-GM1 may be connected with the neurodegeneration in older patients with severe dementia and that AD may also be associated with increased IgM anti-GD1b levels.
First Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Aristotle University, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece lenahatzi@hotmail.com.
E
E
Hatzifilippou
First Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Aristotle University, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
E
E
Koutsouraki
First Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic, Aristotle University, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
V G
VG
Costa
First Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Aristotle University, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece First Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic, Aristotle University, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
S J
SJ
Baloyannis
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D001323:Autoantibodies; D005732:Gangliosides; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; C033851:ganglioside, GD1b; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside; C039129:GQ1b ganglioside
Alzheimer’s disease; anti-GD1b; anti-GM1; antiganglioside antibodies; dementia