g(m1)-ganglioside and Multiple-Sclerosis--Chronic-Progressive

An effect of 20% blood serum estimated by the changes of background and excited spike activity of Retzius' neuron by Hirudo medicinalis, which does not contain myelin, has been studied in 2 groups of patients. The first group comprised patients with serum, containing antibodies to gangliosides, and the second one--patients without such antibodies. Incubation of Reitzius neurons in the serum with GM1-antibodies within 40 min resulted in the change of spike form, increase of cell stimulation threshold by average 20%, reduction of the frequency of spontaneous impulse activity by average 28%, decrease of the spikes number in response to the lower frequency (0.5 Hz) synaptic stimulation and inhibition of adaptation to the high frequency (10 Hz) stimulation. The use of the serum without GM1-antibodies caused a different change of the spike form and increased the stimulation threshold by 8% and sparser background impulse activity of the neuron by 40%. During low frequency synaptic activation of the neuron (0.5%), there was sensitivity disturbance and inhibition of the electric response to the high frequency stimulation. The results suggest that neuron injuries in multiple sclerosis may develop before morphological appearances of myelin lesions.

Topics: Adult; Animals; Autoantibodies; Electric Stimulation; Electrophysiology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; G(M1) Ganglioside; Hirudo medicinalis; Humans; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive; Neurons; Synaptic Transmission; Time Factors

In order to obtain more information concerning the pathogenic significance of ganglioside GM1 in multiple sclerosis serum polyclonal IgG and IgM antibodies to GM1 were evaluated in multiple sclerosis patients with relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive forms of the disease.. The evaluated sera were from 55 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis and from 20 healthy subjects. Forty-two of patients were with relapsing-remitting and 13 with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Antibodies to GM1 were measured using a modification of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique of Mizutamari et al (1994).. A statistically significant difference of serum IgG antibody titres to GM1 was found between the healthy subjects and the multiple sclerosis patients with relapsing-remitting form of the disease (p = 0.04), as well as of serum IgG antibody titres to GM1 between the patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in relapse and in remission (p = 0.01).. Bearing in mind the heterogeneity of multiple sclerosis, the pathogenic significance of serum antibodies to GM1 should be interpreted concerning the precise clinical form of the disease and not the whole group of MS patients. The findings in this study argue for the possible involvement of ganglioside GM1 in the pathogenesis of demyelination in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Case-Control Studies; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; G(M1) Ganglioside; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting