Anti-peripheral nerve myelin antibodies and terminal activation products of complement in serum of patients with acute brachial plexus neuropathy
F. J. Vriesendorp, G. S. Dmytrenko, T. Dietrich and C. L. Koski
Department of Neurology, University of Maryland Hospital, Baltimore.
OBJECTIVE: To determine if complement-fixing antibodies to peripheral nerve
myelin (anti-PNM antibodies) and terminal complement activation products
were increased in serum of patients with brachial plexus neuropathy
compared with normal controls. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: University
medical center. PATIENTS: Three patients (aged 6, 39, and 51 years) with
acute brachial plexus neuropathy were studied during the acute and recovery
phase of their disease. METHODS: Anti-PNM antibodies were measured in serum
samples obtained from three patients and 25 normal controls with the C1
fixation and transfer assay. Soluble terminal complement activation
products, SC5b-9, were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA) in serum samples of one patient with brachial plexus neuropathy and
of five normal controls. RESULTS: Both serum anti-PNM antibodies and
soluble terminal complement activation products were increased in the acute
phase of brachial plexus neuropathy compared with normal control values and
decreased several months later during clinical recovery. CONCLUSION:
Complement dependent, antibody-mediated demyelination may participate in
the peripheral nerve damage of brachial plexus neuropathy.
