Acute idiopathic demyelinating polyneuropathy: passive transfer to mice by immunoglobulin

Systemic administration of acute idiopathic demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) immunoglobulins to mice for two weeks resulted in reduced sural nerve action potential amplitudes and reduced (rotarod) motor performance. Electron microscopic examination of the sciatic nerves of the AIDP-immunoglobulin-treated animals revealed loosening of myelin lamellae with widening of interperiod lines and multivesicular disruption of myelin. Vacuolar degeneration was detected in half of the nerves examined by light microscopy. Injection of AIDP-immunoglobulins for three days led to only minor changes, and mice receiving healthy human immunoglobulins showed no abnormalities. These data show that some features of AIDP can be transferred to mice by systemic administration of immunoglobulins and suggest that humoral factors have a pathogenic role in AIDP in addition to cellular factors.