IGM ANTI-GM1 ANTIBODIES IN THE GUILLAIN-BARRE-SYNDROME - A SEROLOGICAL PREDICTOR OF THE CLINICAL COURSE

It has been suggested that antibodies against GM1 are involved in the pathogenesis of the Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Recently, we have d eveloped a standardized ELISA assay for anti-GM1 antibodies of IgM typ e well-suited for longitudinal patient studies. The relationship betwe en serum antibodies against GM1 and Campylobacter jejuni was investiga ted in patients with GBS and in patients with C. jejuni infection. Pat ients with a short-lasting anti-GM1 elevation had a fast recovery, whe reas patients with slow recovery had a long-lasting anti-GM1 elevation . A linear relationship was found between significant clinical recover y and the time until the anti-GM1 peak was halved (R = 0.9, p < 0.01). The absolute level of anti-GM1 did not predict the length of the reco very nor was the level of anti-GM1 related to the clinical disability at its nadir. Our data indicate that monitoring of the IgM anti-GM1 le vel can predict clinical recovery in GBS patients.