ANTIBODY PANELS IN IDIOPATHIC POLYNEUROPATHY AND MOTOR-NEURON DISEASE

We prospectively evaluated patients with idiopathic polyneuropathy (PN ) and motor neuron disease (MND) with commercial antibody (Ab) panels. Patients with sensorimotor PN received a ''sensorimotor neuropathy pr ofile'' [3-sulfated glucuronyl paragloboside (SGPG)/myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), GM1, asialo-GM1, GD1b, Hu, sulfatide]. Motor neuro pathy or MND patients underwent a ''motor neuropathy profile'' (SGPG/M AG, GM1, asialo-GM1). Seven of 78 patients (9.0%) with sensorimotor PN and 3 of 44 patients (6.8%) with MND had abnormal panels. None of 60 patients with axonal sensory or sensorimotor PN had antisulfatide Ab. Seven of 13 patients (54%) with multifocal motor neuropathy had abnorm al panels, with 6 seropositive to GM1. We found abnormal Ab panels in fewer than 10% of patients with idiopathic sensorimotor PN and MND. Mo reover, abnormal Ab tests often did not relate to the clinical context . Our data do not support the use of commercial Ab panels in the evalu ation of patients with idiopathic PN or MND. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Son s, Inc.