ANTIGANGLIOSIDE ANTIBODY AND NEUROPATHY - REVIEW OF OUR RESEARCH

Some patients developed Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) after the admini stration of bovine gangliosides. Patients with GBS subsequent to Campy lobacter jejuni enteritis frequently have IgG antibody to GM1 ganglios ide. Fisher's syndrome (FS), a variant of GBS, is associated with IgG antibody to GQ1b ganglioside. We showed the existence of molecular mim icry between GM1 and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of C. jejuni isolated fr om a GBS patient, and that between GQ1b and C. jejuni LPSs from FS pat ients. Several lines of evidence suggest a pathogenic role for anti-ga nglioside antibodies. Some patients developed sensorimotor polyneuropa thy after anti-GD2 antibody administration. Anti-GM1 antibody can bloc k motor nerve conduction. The molecular mimicry between infectious age nts and gangliosides may function in the production of anti-gangliosid e antibodies and the development of GBS and FS. Anti-GQ1b IgG antibody is detected also in Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis and acute op hthalmoparesis, which suggests that these conditions are categorized a s autoimmune diseases related to FS. Since a tryptophan-immobilized co lumn effectively adsorb anti-GQ1b IgG antibody, immunoadsorption with the column should be considered as an alternative form of plasmapheres is for the anti-GQ1b IgG antibody syndrome.