A NOVEL GANGLIOSIDE, 9-O-ACETYL GD1B, IS RECOGNIZED BY SERUM ANTIBODIES IN GUILLAIN-BARRE-SYNDROME

A hitherto undescribed ganglioside was detected in a crude ganglioside fraction of bovine brain using an IgM M-protein binding to Gal beta 1 ,3GalNAc residue. We purified and identified it as 9-O-acetyl GD1b bas ed on results of alkali treatment that yielded GD1b and results of fas t atom bombardment-mass and gas chromatography-mass spectrometries. 9- O-acetyl GD1b was also found to be present in human peripheral nerve t issue. The reactivities of the serum antibodies from patients with Gui llain-Barre syndrome to 9-O-acetyl GD1b, GD1b, and GM1 were determined by ELISA and TLC immunostaining. Nineteen of 85 serum samples from Gu illain-Barre syndrome patients had antibodies that bound to 9-O-acetyl GD1b: 14 of the positive samples also reacted with GM1 and GD1b, thre e reacted with GM1 but not with GD1b, one with GD1b but not with GM1, and one with neither GM1 nor GD1b. These results show that a subset of patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome had antibodies that react with 9-O-acetyl GD1b; therefore, this ganglioside can serve as a target ant igen against the antibodies present in Guillain-Barre syndrome.