Abstract
Summary
Anti-asialoganglioside or antiganglioside antibodies were not detected in 42 samples of normal human serum. Sera obtained from animals and patients with viral encephalitis having clinical evidence of brain damage contained antibodies against asialogangliosides. The presence of these antibodies was also observed in 5 of the sera from 14 patients with Tay-Sachs disease and in 3 of 14 cases of schizophrenic patients. Antiganglioside antibodies were found in the sera of 8 of 42 patients with multiple sclerosis. The formation of this antibody appeared to be linked to the presence of homozygous hr'(c) blood group antigen in these patients. The participation of auto-immunizing phenomena in the pathogenesis of this disease state is considered.
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