[Immunopathogenesis of polyneuropathies in paraproteinemia]

Polyneuropathies are the most common neurological complications of paraproteinemias . In many cases pathogenesis remains unclear. In two patients with chronic demyelinating neuropathy in IgM-paraproteinaemia subtle methods were applied ( immunoelectroblot and immunocytochemistry). It could be demonstrated that the pathologic antibodies in the patients' serum reacted specifically with an antigen in the sheath, the myelin-associated glycoprotein. These observations suggest an antibody-mediated immunopathogenesis of the patients' polyneuropathy and invite prospects for a rational treatment with immunosuppressive approaches.