ANTIBODY TO GALNAC-GD1A AND GALNAC-GMLB IN GUILLAIN-BARRE-SYNDROME SUBSEQUENT TO CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI ENTERITIS

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.