ganglioside--gd1a and Enteritis

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Autoantibodies; Autoantigens; Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System; Campylobacter Infections; Campylobacter jejuni; Enteritis; Gangliosides; Guillain-Barre Syndrome; Humans; Molecular Mimicry; Siblings

N-Acetylgalactosaminyl GD1a (GalNAc-GD1a) is a proposed target molecule for serum antibody in some patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) (Kusunoki et al., 1994). We examined autoantibody to GalNAc-GD1a in sera from 58 GBS patients. Eight GBS patients had high IgG anti-GalNAc-GD1a antibody titers, 3 of whom also had high IgM anti-GalNAc-GD1a antibody titers. These 8 patients had experienced gastrointestinal infection before the onset of their neurological symptoms. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from 4 of them. An absorption test indicated the presence of the GalNAc-GD1a epitope in lipopolysaccharides of C. jejuni. Sera that had anti-GalNAc-GD1a antibody reacted with several acidic glycolipids in bovine peripheral nerve, one of which was identified as N-acetylgalactosaminyl GM1b (GalNAc-GM1b). Serum binding to GalNAc-GM1b was decreased by absorption with GalNAc-GD1a. The presence of GalNAc-GM1b as well as GalNAc-GD1a has been reported in human peripheral nerves. We assume that C. jejuni, which bears the [GalNAc beta 1-4 (NeuAc alpha 2-3) Gal beta 1-3 GalNAc beta 1-] epitope, is the immunogen and that the glycoconjugates with the epitope are target molecules for the autoantibody in peripheral nerves of some GBS patients.

Topics: Animals; Antigens, Bacterial; Autoantibodies; Autoantigens; Campylobacter Infections; Cattle; Enteritis; G(M1) Ganglioside; Gangliosides; Glycolipids; Humans; Lipopolysaccharides; Polyradiculoneuropathy