LOCALIZATION OF GM1 AND GD1B ANTIGENS IN THE HUMAN PERIPHERAL NERVOUS-SYSTEM

Serum antibodies against ganglioside GM1 and/or GD1b are frequently de tected in autoimmune neuropathies such as multifocal motor neuropathy, IgM paraproteinemic neuropathy and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Some of t hem bind to GM1 or GD1b monospecifically but others cross-react with b oth of the antigens. In order to investigate the respective localizati ons of GM1 and GD1b antigens in the human peripheral nervous system, a n immunohistochemical study was performed using two mouse monoclonal a ntibodies, each monospecific to GM1 and GD1b. GGR12, monospecific to G D1b, bound to neurons in dorsal root ganglia and sympathetic ganglia, and some parts of the peripheral myelin, mainly the paranodal areas. H owever GMB16, monospecific to GM1, did not bind to either neurons or m yelin. GD1b antigen present on neurons and paranodal myelin in the per ipheral nervous system can be a target antigen of serum antibodies in autoimmune neuropathies. Further effort should be made to reveal the l ocalization of GM1 antigen in the human peripheral nervous system.