Lower motor neuron disease in a patient with autoantibodies against Gal(beta 1-3)GalNAc in gangliosides GM1 and GD1b: improvement following immunotherapy

Neurology. 1990 May;40(5):842-4. doi: 10.1212/wnl.40.5.842.

Abstract

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 GD1b and Gal (beta 1-3) GalNAc.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate*
  • Autoantibodies / analysis*
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods
  • Disaccharides / immunology*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • G(M1) Ganglioside / immunology*
  • Gangliosides / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin M / analysis*
  • Immunotherapy*
  • Male
  • Motor Neurons / immunology*
  • Neuromuscular Diseases / immunology*
  • Neuromuscular Diseases / therapy

Substances

  • Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate
  • Autoantibodies
  • Disaccharides
  • Gangliosides
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • ganglioside, GD1b
  • Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen
  • G(M1) Ganglioside