IgM monoclonal gammopathy and neuropathy in two siblings

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1988 Oct;51(10):1308-15. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.51.10.1308.

Abstract

A sister and a brother with a progressive mixed axonal and demyelinating polyneuropathy were found to have a monoclonal IgM gammopathy of kappa and lambda type, respectively. Sural nerve and cutaneous nerve specimens obtained by biopsy showed deposits of IgM on myelin sheets. Sera from both patients contained antibodies directed to bovine peripheral nerve myelin as determined by ELISA technique and to normal human peripheral nerve myelin as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence histochemistry. These siblings may have a genetic predisposition to the formation of autoantibodies with peripheral nerve myelin as the target for the immune attack.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Autoimmune Diseases / genetics*
  • Autoimmune Diseases / pathology
  • Biopsy
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Humans
  • Hypergammaglobulinemia / genetics*
  • Immunoglobulin M / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance / genetics*
  • Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance / pathology
  • Myelin Sheath / ultrastructure
  • Nerve Fibers / pathology
  • Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / genetics*
  • Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / pathology
  • Skin / innervation
  • Sural Nerve / pathology

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin M