CORRELATION BETWEEN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTION AND IGM ANTI-MAG SGPG ANTIBODY-ASSOCIATED NEUROPATHY/

IgM anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein (anti-MAG)/sulfated glucuronyl paragloboside (SGPG) antibody is found in some patients with chronic polyneuropathy (CP). An antigen-driven process is considered to induce this autoantibody, but the agent has yet to be identified. It has bee n reported that sera from cytomegalovirus (CMV)infected patients conta ined anti-SGPG antibody. To clarify the mechanism of the production of the anti-MAG/ SGPG antibody, we investigated CMV DNA in sera from 26 patients with IgM anti-MAG/SGPG antibody-positive CP. Twenty-three (88 %) had CMV DNA. The positive frequency was significantly higher than t he frequencies in sera from patients with IgM anti-MAG/SGPG-negative C P, the other disease controls, and the normal control subjects. There were no statistical differences in the frequencies of Epstein-Barr vir us DNA between anti-MAG/ SGPG-positive and anti-MAG/SGPG-negative CP a nd between anti-MAG/SGPG-positive CP and each disease control. Moreove r, no herpes simplex virus 1 DNA was detected in the sera from patient s with anti-MAG/SGPG positive CP. The strong correlation of anti-MAG/S GPG positive CP with the presence of serum CMV DNA suggests that CMV i nfection induces the IgM anti-MAG/SGPG antibody.