title: Cerebrospinal fluid profile and seroprevalence of antiganglioside reactivity in patients with neuralgic amyotrophy.
abstract: Neuralgic amyotrophy (NA), also known as acute brachial plexitis, is postulated as an autoimmune pathogenesis. In a well-defined cohort of patients with NA, we analyzed the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) profile and the prevalence of antiganglioside antibodies. Patients with Varicella zoster-associated radiculitis and healthy blood donors served as controls. An abnormal routine laboratory CSF profile was found in 29% of those with NA, mostly showing a disruption of the blood-brain barrier. Antibodies predominantly from the immunoglobulin M (IgM) isotype against at least one human ganglioside were detected in 36% of sera from patients with NA but in only 2% of controls. An NA-specific reactivity pattern was not detected, and there was no significant association with clinical or CSF parameters. This suggests that the seroprevalence of antiganglioside autoantibodies in patients with NA is nonspecific.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Albert Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stich
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Albert Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Glos
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Albert Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brendle
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Albert Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dersch
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Albert Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany.|Ravo Diagnostika GmbH, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rauer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D020968:Brachial Plexus Neuritis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D005732:Gangliosides
keywords: Parsonage-Turner syndrome; acute brachial neuritis; brachial plexus neuropathy; cerebrospinal fluid; ganglioside antibodies; neuralgic amyotrophy