ANTIBODIES TO FUCOGANGLIOSIDES IN NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES

We examined serum antibodies to 4 species of fucogangliosides: fucosyl -GM1, fucosyl-GD1b, alpha galactosyl (alpha fucosyl) GM1 and alpha gal actosyl (alpha fucosyl) GD1b, in 329 patients with various neurologic diseases, 32 patients with non-neurologic autoimmune diseases and 50 h ealthy persons. Nine patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome, 2 with amy otrophic lateral sclerosis and 2 with cerebral infarction had IgG anti -fucosyl-GM1 antibody. Five patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome. 1 w ith cerebral infarction and 1 normal control subject had IgM anti-fuco syl-GM1 antibody, 3 of whom also had IgG anti-fucosyl-GM1 antibody. Si xteen of 17 patients who had Ige or IgM antibody to fucosyl-GM1 showed no sensory dysfunction. Yoshino et al. [J. Neurochem. 1993, 61: 658-6 63] speculated that anti-fucosyl-GM1 antibody functions in the develop ment of sensory neuropathy, but our results do not support this. Two p atients with sensory ataxic neuropathy had high IgM antibody titers to fucosyl-GD1b and alpha galactosyl (alpha fucosyl) GD1b. These fucogan gliosides maybe the target molecules for serum antibodies in some pati ents with sensory ataxic neuropathy. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.