Characterization of anti-ganglioside antibodies present in normal human plasma

https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-5728(94)90048-5Get rights and content

Abstract

Samples of plasma from normal human adults were screened for anti-ganglioside antibodies by HPTLC-immunostaining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All the samples analyzed showed IgM-immunoreactivity to GM1 ganglioside and its related glycolipid GA1. Reactivity to GD1b, GM2 and LM1 was also detected in 85, 80 and 20% of the analyzed samples, respectively. The main immunoreactivity is related to the asialo-ganglioside GA1. Using inhibition by soluble antigen and affinity chromatography techniques it was possible to distinguish two populations of anti-GA1 antibodies. One with high affinity reacting only with GA1, and another with low affinity reacting also with GM1 and GD1b. The antibodies that recognize GM2 are of low affinity and appear to be different from those that react with GA1. We postulate that the anti-GM1/GD1b immunoreactivity present in normal human plasma could be a cross-reaction of antibodies originally directed to a GA1-like carbohydrate structure. Anti-GA1 and anti-GM1 titers were calculated as the reciprocal of the plasma dilution needed to obtain the half maximal antibody binding, a titer definition that we consider more suitable to compare data from different laboratories than those usually employed.

References (15)

  • D.M. Marcus et al.

    Measurement and significance of antibodies against GM1 ganglioside

    J. Neuroimmunol.

    (1989)
  • E. Nobile-Orazio et al.

    Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with high titers of anti-GM1 antibodies

    J. Neurol. Sci.

    (1992)
  • F.A. Cumar et al.

    Sulfation of glycosphingolipids and related carbohydrates by brain preparation from young rats

    J. Biol. Chem.

    (1968)
  • Y. Hirabayashi et al.

    A new method for purification of anti-glycosphingolipid antibody. Avian anti-hematoside (NeuGc) antibody

    J. Biochem.

    (1983)
  • A.A. Ilyas et al.

    Polyneuropathy with monoclonal gammopathy: Glycolipids are frequently antigens for IgM paraproteins

  • N. Latov et al.

    Monoclonal IgM with unique specificity to gangliosides GM1 and GD1b and to lacto-N-tetraose associated with human motor neuron disease

    Neurology

    (1988)
  • E. Nardelli et al.

    Neuropathy and monoclonal IgM M-protein with antibody activity against gangliosides

    J. Neuroimmunol.

    (1987)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (0)

Dedicated to Dr. Ranwel Caputto on occasion of his 80th anniversary.

View full text