N. Yuki et al., ANTIBODY TO GALNAC-GD1A AND GALNAC-GMLB IN GUILLAIN-BARRE-SYNDROME SUBSEQUENT TO CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI ENTERITIS, Journal of neuroimmunology, 71(1-2), 1996, pp. 155-161
N-Acetylgalactosaminyl GD1a(GalNAc-GD1a) is a proposed target molecule
for serum antibody in some patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS
) (Kusunoki et al., 1994). We examined autoantibody to GalNAc-GD1a in
sera from 58 GBS patients. Eight GBS patients had high IgG anti-GalNAc
-GD1a antibody titers, 3 of whom also had high IgM anti-GalNAc-GD1a an
tibody titers. These 8 patients had experienced gastrointestinal infec
tion before the onset of their neurological symptoms. Campylobacter je
juni was isolated from 4 of them. An absorption test indicated the pre
sence of the GalNAc-GD1a epitope in lipopolysaccharides of C. jejuni.
Sera that had anti-GalNAc-GD1a antibody reacted with several acidic gl
ycolipids in bovine peripheral nerve, one of which was identified as N
-acetylgalactosaminyl GM1b (GalNAc-GM1b). Serum binding to GalNAc-GM1b
was decreased by absorption with GalNAc-GD1a. The presence of GalNAc-
GM1b as well as GalNAc-GD1a has been reported in human peripheral nerv
es. We assume that C. jejuni, which bears the [GalNAc beta 1-4 (NeuAc
alpha 2-3) Gal beta 1-3 GalNAc beta 1-] epitope, is the immunogen and
that the glycoconjugates with the epitope are target molecules for the
autoantibody in peripheral nerves of some GBS patients.