The role of antiglycolipid antibodies in neurological disorders.

Glycolipids have been shown to be antigens for circulating antibodies in autoimmune processes affecting the nervous system like neuropathy associated with IgM paraproteinemia, Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS), multifocal neuropathy, and variants thereof. The antibody titers, the Ig-classes, and the antibody specificity vary between studies and disease groups. The immunogens are in general unknown. However, GBS is often associated with an infection with Campylobacter jejuni, which expresses a lipopolysaccharide structure similar to the carbohydrate epitopes in sialic acid containing glycolipids and gangliosides and thus a potential primary antigen for antiganglioside antibodies. The antiglycolipid specificity will most likely reflect the primary antigen carbohydrate epitopes, which also determine the target cell or tissue structure and the pathology. These factors might add to the inconsistent results obtained and that have led to the question: Are antiglycolipid antibodies of any clinical significance?