Chicken egg yolk anti-asialoGM1 immunoglobulin (IgY): an inexpensive glycohistochemical probe for localization of T-antigen in human colorectal adenocarcinomas.

A egg yolk polyclonal IgY has been prepared by immunization of white leghorn chickens with small unilamellar liposomal asialoGM1. The newly prepared anti-asialoGM1 IgY has been characterized to be specific toward the terminal carbohydrate moiety of asialoGM1, and has no cross reactivity to its sialylated counterpart (ganglioside, GM1) as evidenced by immunochromatographic studies. General glycohistochemical methods along with antigen specific lectin and immunohistochemical staining using anti-asialoGM1 IgY were used to study the expression of Thomsen-Friedenreich (T-) disaccharide antigen in human colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues. The expression of T-antigen in colon cancer tissue was detected by two T-disaccharide specific probes, chicken anti-T-yolk antibody (IgY) and Artocarpus integrifolia lectin (AIL) and was found to be more pronounced in both the secreted mucin as well as the cytoplasmic mucin deposits. These immunochemical detection methods for T-antigen showed a weaker correlation with other glycostaining methods using, alcian-blue/periodic acid-Schiff (AB-PAS) and high iron diamine (HID). However, a general enzymatic staining for galactose and galactosamine containing glycoconjugates, by galactose oxidase-Schiff method, showed a good correlation with T-antigen detection. While the T-beta specific anti-asialoGM1 could localize T-antigen in 11 of 13 (84%) human colorectal adenocarcinoma tissue sections tested, the T-alpha specific AIL could localize the T-antigen in only 6 of the tissues (46%). These observations confirm previously reported findings, of the prevalence of T-beta conformation in colon cancer, that binds significantly more with the anti-asialoGM1 IgY than with the T-alpha specific AIL. Hence, both anti-T IgY and the AIL immunohistochemical probes may have useful diagnostic value because of the ease of preparation and cost effectiveness, but the T-beta specific anti-asialoGM1 probe (IgY) would have a better prognostic value in colon adenocarcinomas.

Lower motor neuron syndrome associated with anti-GM 1 antibodies

It has been recently recognized that increased titers of serum anti-GM1 antibodies may be associated with motoneurone diseases or with multiple motor neuropathy with or without conduction block and also with chronic sensorimotor neuropathy and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Santoro et al. were the first to note that anti-GM1 antibodies were able to bind to the nodes of Ranvier of the sural nerve of a patient with clinical signs and symptoms mostly resembling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis who also showed, in nerve conduction studies, multifocal motor nerve fibers conduction block and serum IGM anti-GM1 antibodies. The who patients presented in this report had asymetrical motor neurone disease with signs and symptoms of lower motoneurose involvement, and other signs, in the first patient, which suggested the existence of upper motoneurone damage. Besides, the second patient also had clinical sensory impairment in the lower limbs. Electrophysiologically, none of them had nerve conduction block but both showed inexcitable median and sural nerve sensory fibers. Both had high titers of anti-GM1. A sural biopsy of both patients showed immunoglobulins into the sensory fibers. However, we do not know whether the anti-GM1 antibodies bind to a cross-reactive glycolipid other than the GM1 itself. In any case, it seems that the presence of anti-GM1 antibodies might be a marker signalling a potentially treatable immune disorder which may have signs of lower and upper motor neurone disease and, also, clinical and electrophysiological evidence of peripheral sensory involvement.

Peripheral neuropathy as a hypereosinophilic syndrome and anti-GM1 antibodies

The acute peripheral neuropathy as one of hypereosinophilic syndrome is known to be a rare disorder. The authors experienced a dramatic case with acute peripheral neuropathy, hypereosinophilia in peripheral blood, and the positive anti-GM1 antibodies. The serum protein electrophoresis showed a diffusely increased gamma-globulin region and the polyclonal gammopathy was found by the immunoelectropheresis. There was no evidence of inflammatory myopathy in vastus lateralis muscle. The sural nerve biopsy was compatible with vascular neuropathy, as there were a few myelin digestion chambers, mild perineuronal fibrosis, and perivascular lymphoplasmocytic infiltration with focal organizing thrombosis. The clinical response to prednisone therapy was excellent.