IGM ANTI-SULFATIDE AUTOANTIBODIES - PATTERNS OF BINDING TO CEREBELLUM, DORSAL-ROOT GANGLION AND PERIPHERAL-NERVE

Anti-sulfatide antibodies rue associated with polyneuropathies having a prominent sensory component, but with variable degrees of motor and sensory loss, gait dysfunction and demyelination. In this study, we as ked whether patterns of IgM binding to neural tissue in anti-sulfatide serums also demonstrated heterogeneity. We used immunocytochemical me thods to examine IgM binding to peripheral nerve, dorsal root ganglion , and cerebellum in 41 serums with high titers of IgM anti-sulfatide a ntibodies. Our results showed that there were several different patter ns of IgM binding to neural tissues in anti-sulfatide serums. In perip heral nerve the most common targets of IgM were axons, resident macrop hages or Schwann cell cytoplasm. In the cerebellum, IgM bound to neuro nal nuclei, white matter, or neuropil in molecular and granule cell la yers. There was little binding of IgM to structures in the dorsal root ganglion. Patterns of IgM binding to peripheral nerve and cerebellum were related. Binding to neuronal nuclei in the cerebellum was usually found in serums that recognized peripheral nerve axons or macrophages . Serums with binding of IgM to cerebellar white matter usually recogn ized Schwann cell cytoplasm. We conclude that IgM anti-sulfatide antib odies map have several different tissue binding patterns in the periph eral and central nervous systems. These differences map be related to the variation in clinical neuropathy syndromes associated with apparen tly similar anti-sulfatide antibodies. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Irela nd Ltd.