THE ANTI-OLIGOSACCHARIDE ANTIBODIES PRESENT IN SERA FROM PATIENTS WITH MOTOR-NEURON DISEASE AND NEUROPATHY RECOGNIZE THE N-GLYCOLYLNEURAMINIC ACID-CONTAINING GANGLIOTETRAHEXOSYL OLIGOSACCHARIDE

We found that serum antibodies present in the serum of patients with m otor neuron disease and neuropathy, which were previously shown to rea ct with the oligosaccharide chain of ganglioside GM1(Neu5Ac), can be r ecognized and titred using the N-glycolylneuraminic acid containing mo nosialo-gangliotetrahexosylceramide, GM1(Neu5Gc), which is not a compo nent of normal human cells. The antibody-antigen reaction was abolishe d by immunoabsorption with the free oligosaccharide chain. This result , together with the knowledge that these antibodies recognize several glycoconjugates, supports the conviction that these antibodies are non -specific for a gangliosidic structure.