Reactivity of human monoclonal IgM with nerve glycosphingolipids

SUMMARY We examined the reactivity of monoclonal IgM of sera from patients with neuropathy and monoclonal IgM, with or without antibody activity to myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), as well as sera from non-neurologic patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia, with various nerve glycolipids extracts or with purified gangliosides. As expected from previous studies, all (five cases) anti-MAG IgM stained two glycolipids, the chemical characteristics of which corresponded to sulphated glucuronyl-paragloboside (SGPG) and sulphated glucuronyl-lactosaminyl-paragloboside (SGLPG). Five of 12 sera from patients with neuropathy whose IgM was devoid of anti-MAG reactivity stained nerve extracts greatly enriched (98%) with SGPG and SGLPG. Three of these five sera reacted with additional glycolipids and/or gangliosides. Two of 16 sera from patients with macroglobulinaemia without neuropathy reacted strongly with both SGPG and SGLPG. The latter finding as well as the detection of low titre of anti-sphingolipid antibodies in normal sera may cast a doubt on the pathogenetic significance of this antibody activity.