title: Clonality of anti-GM1 IgM antibodies in multifocal motor neuropathy and the Guillain-Barré syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) and the Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) are immune-mediated motor neuropathies with antibodies against the ganglioside GM1. In GBS, these antibodies are induced by molecular mimicry, but in MMN their origin is elusive.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the light-chain use of anti-GM1 IgM antibodies in serum from 42 patients with MMN and 23 patients with GBS by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exclusive use of either κ or λ light chains was found in 38 (90%) patients with MMN and 9 (39%) with GBS (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anti-GM1 IgM antibodies in most patients with MMN are produced by only a single or very limited number of B-cell clones, whereas in most patients with GBS, anti-GM1 IgM antibodies are most likely polyclonal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elisabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cats
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W-Ludo
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: van der Pol
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroimmunology, The Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anne P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Tio-Gillen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frank P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Diekstra
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Leonard H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroimmunology, The Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bart C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Jacobs
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology*; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000097:blood; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000097:blood; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside
keywords: GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME; NEUROPATHY