ABSTRACT
A recent development in the evaluation of peripheral neuropathy patients has been
the identification of autoantibodies directed against various peripheral nerve antigens.
For some conditions, assay for the antibodies can be very helpful in confirming a
diagnosis. In others, an antibody may be associated with clinical findings that are
neither distinctive nor specific, and the role of the antibody in the pathogenesis
of the clinical disease may remain uncertain. The appropriate use of antibody assays
in clinical diagnosis and management is therefore often unclear. This article highlights the historical background for
the best-described “antinerve” antibodies, and reviews the biochemistry, immunology,
pathophysiology, and treatment implications of the associated clinical conditions.
Keywords
gangliosides - autoantibody - peripheral neuropathy - sulfatides - myelinassociated
glycoprotein
