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Serum antibodies to GM₁ ganglioside in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.

We report the presence of serum antibodies directed against GM₁ ganglioside, a defined neural antigen, in many patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We examined serum from a series of patients with well-documented clinical diagnoses. Serum antibodies to GM₁ ganglioside were measured using ELIS A assays. Our results showed that polyclonal IgM anti-GM₁ antibodies were present at dilutions of 1:25 to 1:2,000 in 42 of 74 (57%) patients with ALS. The anti-GM₁ antibodies were especially frequent in patients with prominent lower motor neuron signs (41/59; 69%). Few normal controls (2/23) and motor-sensory neuropathy patients (3/27) had similar antibodies. Anti-GM₁ antibodies did occur in patients with nonneural autoimmune disorders. However, the anti-GM₁ antibodies in these patients tended to differ from those in ALS based on an analysis of their light chain types. Further examination of the role and spectrum of serum antiganglioside antibody activity in motor neuron syndromes is warranted.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Pestronk, Meyer 5–119, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205.

Supported by grants from the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the NIH (P01 NS22849 and 1 R01NS23719) and memorial funds for Edward Lloyd and Fereydoon Hadi, and the Jay Slotkin Fund for Neuromuscular Research.

Received January 8, 1988. Accepted for publication in final form February 22, 1988.

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