[Development of testing kits of anti-ganglioside antibody: clinical utility in Guillain-Barré and Fisher syndromes].

We developed testing kits for anti-GM1 and anti-GQ1b IgG antibodies and examined their utilities in supporting the diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and Fisher syndrome (FS). Anti-GM1 antibody was detected in 49% of 95 patients with GBS and in 5% or less of disease and normal controls. Anti-GQ1b antibody was detected in 85% of 55 patients with FS, whereas in none of the controls. Eight GBS patients, in whom anti-GM1 IgG antibody was judged negative using the kit, were found to have other anti-ganglioside IgG antibodies. Four of them showed ophthalmoplegia and had anti-GQ1b IgG antibody. Detection of anti-GM1 IgG antibody in GBS and of anti-GQ1b IgG antibody in FS within one week after the disease onset were significantly more frequent compared to albuminocytologic dissociation in the cerebrospinal fluids (GBS, 58% vs 32%; FS, 89% vs 20%). These findings indicate that our testing kits are useful for supporting the early diagnosis of GBS and FS.

[Evaluation of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system for sero-diagnosis of summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis].

Summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis (SHP) is the most prevalent type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in Japan. Its main causative antigenic organisms are Trichosporon species. Although this disease had been thought to be unique to Japan, more than ten patients were found in Korea, recently. It is expected that patients with SHP will be found elsewhere in the Temperate Zones, the tropics or in the subtropics. It is important in diagnosing SHP to prove specific antibody against causative antigen in patient's serum, for the existence of specific antibody indicates the patient had been exposed to, and sensitized to the antigen. In the present study, we devised Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay system using monoclonal antibody specific to T. asahii, to measure antibodies against T. asahii. We evaluated the usefulness of the system by using sera from patients with SHP, patients with other pulmonary diseases, or healthy volunteers. We found specificity and sensitivity of the system were 92.8% and 92.3%, respectively. This system was proved to be useful in diagnosing SHP.