Cytomegalovirus is not associated with IgM anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein/sulphate-3-glucuronyl paragloboside antibody-associated neuropathy

• Published in: Annals of neurology Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 267 - 270
• Main Authors: Lunn, M. P. T., Muir, P., Brown, L. J., MacMahon, E. M. E., Gregson, N. A., Hughes, R. A. C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.08.1999; Willey-Liss
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Cytomegalovirus - immunology; Demyelinating Diseases - immunology; DNA, Viral - immunology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Globosides - immunology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunoglobulin M - immunology; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein - immunology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the nervous system; Human; Cytomegalovirus; Nervous system diseases; Myelin; Herpesviridae; Monoclonal antibody; Peripheral neuropathy; Betaherpesvirinae; IgM; Virus; Demyelination; Immunological investigation; Peripheral nerve disease
• ISSN: 0364-5134; 1531-8249
• DOI: 10.1002/1531-8249(199908)46:2<267::AID-ANA20>3.0.CO;2-M

Monoclonal antibodies reactive with the HNK‐1 epitope of myelin‐associated glycoprotein (MAG) and the sulphate‐3‐glucuronyl paragloboside (SGPG)–like glycolipids are often found in the serum of patients with IgM paraprotein–associated demyelinating neuropathy. The presence of such antibodies in patients with chronic polyneuropathy has recently been associated with evidence of active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection by the polymerase chain reaction. We wished to test these findings and examined sera from patients with MAG‐reactive or MAG‐nonreactive paraproteinemic neuropathy and patients with paraproteinemia only for the presence of CMV DNA and anti‐CMV antibodies. CMV DNA was not detected in sera from any patient group. Furthermore, anti‐CMV antibody prevalence was normal and similar in all 3 groups. We therefore report no evidence of an association between CMV infection and anti‐MAG/SGPG antibodies associated with paraproteinemic peripheral neuropathy. Ann Neurol 1999;46:267–270