Kevin Budding, Jeroen W Bos, Kim Dijkxhoorn, Elisabeth de Zeeuw, Lauri M Bloemenkamp, Eva M Zekveld, Ewout J N Groen, Bart C Jacobs, Ruth Huizinga, H Stephan Goedee, Elisabeth A Cats, Jeanette H W Leusen, Leonard H van den Berg, C Erik Hack, W Ludo van der Pol
BACKGROUND: Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is a rare, chronic immune-mediated polyneuropathy characterized by asymmetric distal limb weakness. An important feature of MMN is the presence of IgM antibodies against gangliosides, in particular GM1 and less often GM2. Antibodies against GM1 bind to motor neurons (MNs) and cause damage through complement activation. The involvement of Schwann cells (SCs), expressing GM1 and GM2, in the pathogenesis of MMN is unknown. METHODS: Combining the data of our 2007 and 2015 combined cross-sectional and follow-up studies in Dutch patients with MMN, we evaluated the presence of IgM antibodies against GM1 and GM2 in serum from 124 patients with MMN and investigated their binding to SCs and complement-activating properties...
April 17, 2024: Journal of Neuroinflammation