Hj. Willison et J. Veitch, IMMUNOGLOBULIN SUBCLASS DISTRIBUTION AND BINDING CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTI-GQ1B ANTIBODIES IN MILLER-FISHER-SYNDROME, Journal of neuroimmunology, 50(2), 1994, pp. 159-165
Circulating IgG antibodies to carbohydrate determinants on GQ1b gangli
oside are found in the acute phase sera of patients with Miller Fisher
syndrome, a variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Here we report that t
he IgG subclass distribution of the anti-GQ1b antibodies is mainly res
tricted to IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies; subclasses typically associated w
ith a T cell-dependent immune reponse to protein antigens. This is hig
hly unusual in that IgG responses to carbohydrate determinants are typ
ically of the IgG2 subclass. Anti-GQ1b antibodies also have a limited
ability to bind GQ1b in a membrane-like environment, particularly at b
ody temperature. These data suggest that the antigen initiating the im
mune response in MFS is not likely GQ1b but an unidentified cross-reac
tive glycoprotein antigen(s). Similar results were obtained for anti-G
M1 IgG antibodies in Guillain-Barre syndrome.