ACUTE CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTION AND IGM ANTI-GM2 ANTIBODY

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) sometimes is preceded by cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Irie et al. (J. Neuroimmunol. 1996;68:19-26) reporte d that three patients with GBS subsequent to CMV infection had ISM and IgG anti-GM2 antibodies. In our larger study, the IgMs from the CNV-a ssociated GBS patients sheaved significantly higher anti-GM2 antibody titers than anti-GM3, anti-GD1a, anti-GD1b, anti-GD2, anti-GD3, anti-G T1b, anti-GQ1b, and anti-SGPG antibody titers. None of the anti-glycos phingolipid antibody titers differed significantly from the others in the IgGs from the CMV-associated GBS patients. However. IgM anti-GM2 a ntibody frequently was present in GBS patients who were not preceded b y CMV infection and non-GBS patients with acute CMV infection. Our res ults did not support the conclusion of Irie et al. that anti-GM2 antib odies were closely associated with acute CMV infection in GBS, but acu te CMV infection, with and without GBS, was associated with IgM anti-G M2 antibody. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.