Diagnostic Utility of Auto Antibodies in Inflammatory Nerve Disorders

A wide range of autoantibodies have been described in immune-mediated nerve disorders that target glycans borne by glycolipids and glycoproteins enriched in the peripheral nerves. Their use as diagnostic biomarkers is very widespread, despite some limitations on sensitivity and specificity, and the lack of standardized assays and access to quality assurance schemes. Although many methods have been applied to measurement, ELISA, in the form of commercial kits or in-house assays, still remains the most widely available and convenient assay methodology. Some antibodies have a particularly robust and widely appreciated clinical significance. Thus, the anti-MAG IgM antibodies that are found in IgM paraprotein related neuropathies define a relatively uniform clinical and prognostic phenotype. IgG antibodies against gangliosides GM1 and GD1a are strongly associated with motor axonal variants of Guillain-Barré syndrome, and anti-GQ1b with Miller Fisher syndrome. In other chronic neuropathies, antibodies against disialylated gangliosides including GD1b and GD3 are detected in ataxic neuropathies, usually associated with an IgM paraprotein, and antibodies against GM1 and the complex GM1:GalC are frequently found in multifocal motor neuropathy. Unfortunately, autoantibodies strongly associated with the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathies and with demyelinating forms of GBS are still lacking. Identification of autoantibodies that map onto a specific clinical phenotype not only allows for improved classification, but also provides better understanding of the pathophysiology of inflammatory neuropathies and the potential for therapeutic interventions.