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NEUROLOGY 1990;40:842
© 1990 American Academy of Neurology

Lower motor neuron disease in a patient with auto-antibodies against Gal(ß 1-3)GalNAc in gangliosides GM₁ and GD_1b

Improvement following immunotherapy M. E. Shy, MD, T. Heiman-Patterson, MD, G. J. Parry, MD, A. Tahmoush, MD, V. A. Evans, MS and P. K. Schick, MD

Departments of Neurology (Drs. Shy and Heiman-Patterson, and Mr. Evans) and Medicine (Dr. Schick), Thomas Jefferson University. Philadelphia, and the Department of Neurology (Drs. Parry and Tahmoush), Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA.

We followed a patient with a lower motor neuron form of motor neuron disease whose neurologic disorder improved following immunotherapy. The patient did not have an M protein but did have IgM antibodies to ganglioside GM₁ detectable at serum titers of 1:2,000 by ELISA. These antibodies were found only in the IgM fraction with lambda light chains and immunoreacted with GD_1b and Gal (ß 1-3)GalNAc.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Michael E. Shy, Jefferson Medical College, 1025 Walnut Street, Room 511, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

Supported by the National ALS Association (grant no. 08001685). Dr. Shy is a recipient of a Clinical Investigator Development Award (K08 NS0126-02).

Received May 9, 1989. Accepted for publication in final form October 26, 1989.

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