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Ganglioside antibody test result

merylg

Senior Member
Messages
841
Location
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ganglioside antibody

GM-1 IgG.....Not Detected
GM-1 IgM.....Not Detected
GD-1b IgG....Not Detected
GD-1b IgM....Not Detected
GQ-1b IgG....Not Detected
GQ-1b IgM..* Detected

My recent result. Would appreciate help with interpreting this. Value any input or discussion. Thanks!
 

halcyon

Senior Member
Messages
2,482
It looks like the significance of anti GQ-1b antibodies of IgM type is not well established. The wikipedia page on antiganglioside antibodies mentions this but there is no reference provided. This paper says:

The first study involving antiganglioside antibodies in the pathogenesis of MFS was published in 1992 by Chiba et al.10 They found increased serum anti-GQ1b IgG activity in all 6 patients with MFS in the early phase of the illness. The titer of the antibody reduced with the clinical course of the disease. They suggested an association between anti-GQ1b antibodies and MFS, and since then several studies11,12 have found increased anti-GQ1b antibody titers in MFS, with the immunoglobulin being of IgG class rather than IgM. The complete absence of anti-GQ1b antibody from normal and disease control groups suggests a high level of specificity for this antibody.

MFS being Miller Fisher syndrome, a variant of guillain-barré syndrome, associated with these GQ-1b antibodies.

Do you have any neuropathy symptoms?
 

merylg

Senior Member
Messages
841
Location
Sydney, NSW, Australia
I have throbbing & burning type pain in my cervical-thoracic spine. Progressing profound muscle weakness mainly in face, neck, arms but also generalised weakness & moderate to severe fatigue. Enthesitis & a lot of muscle pain. Fibromyalgia.

Brain fog & cognitive issues.

Not much in the way of numbness & tingling. Occasionally in chin area, which a Neuro said some years ago was consistent with my osteoarthritis in neck area.

CK normal. EMG & NCS normal. MRI Right shoulder showed torn Supraspinatus, torn labrum, mild bursitis, some unknown process on bone?
No sign of muscle atrophy.
 

merylg

Senior Member
Messages
841
Location
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Do you know if your total IgM levels are normal?
As far as I know, yes. It's been awhile since I tested. My usual pattern is normal levels of IgG & IgM... slightly raised IgA.

I'll probably repeat the Ganglioside Ab test in a few months time, out of interest. Also will ask my Integrative GP if can repeat Immunoglobulin levels.

Neuro did not think my Ganglioside Ab (IgM) significant & he sees it quite often. Still noted it in my summary letter.

Thanks for your input & link Halcyon. I've got similar on my Ross River Virus Serology. An Equivocal for IgM only then two months later a Positive for IgM only.