GUILLAIN-BARRE-SYNDROME ASSOCIATED WITH IGG ANTI-GM1B ANTIBODY SUBSEQUENT TO MYCOPLASMA-PNEUMONIAE INFECTION

Sera from patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) frequently have antibodies to various gangliosides. We report a girl with GBS after My coplasma pneumoniae infection who had serum IgG antibody to GM1b gangl ioside as well as the cold agglutinins. The cold agglutinins are polyc lonal IgM autoantibodies to 'I' antigen on erythrocytes. Ganglioside G M1b contains the terminal moiety shared with sialylated I antigen, a m ain receptor for M. pneumoniae. In this patient, the anti-GM1b antibod y may be elicited in a similar mechanism producing anti-I antibody, an d functioned in the development of GBS. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.