Passive transfer of demyelination by serum or IgG from chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy patients

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is regarded as an autoimmune disorder, but no dearly defined autoimmune mechanism has been de scribed. Although most patients respond to plasma exchange, no convincing r ole for autoantibodies has yet been demonstrated. In this study, we have su ccessfully passively transferred disease using sera and purified IgG from 4 of 12 patients responsive to plasma exchange by bypassing the blood-nerve barrier by intraneural injection or opening it by activated T cells. The se ra from CIDP patients or purified IgG produced marked conduction block and demyelination, but normal sera or IgG or that from patients with multiple s clerosis or other neuropathies did not. These observations strongly support an important role for anti-myelin/Schwann cell autoantibodies in the patho genesis of CIDP at least in some patients.