Anti-GM1 ganglioside antibodies in Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether anti-GM1 antibodies are increased in
Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: Serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG
anti-GM1 antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA) in 147 patients with PD and in 186 age-matched normal control
subjects. Sera were assayed at initial dilution of 1:800 for IgM and 1:200
for IgG and were considered positive at absorbance values exceeding the
value of 0.05 for IgM and 0.1 for IgG. RESULTS: Forty patients with PD
(27.2%) had sera positive for IgM anti-GM1 antibodies, whereas only five
normal controls (2.7%) resulted positive (P < 0.0001). Most of patients
(75%) with positive sera had a tremor-dominant form of PD. Only two
patients with PD (1.4%) and none of normal controls had sera positive for
IgG anti-GM1 antibodies. CONCLUSION: A consistent portion of
parkinsonians, mainly with a tremor-dominant form of PD, may have
increased circulating IgM anti-GM1 antibodies.