Autoantibodies against ganglioside GM3 are associated with narcolepsy-cataplexy developing after Pandemrix vaccination against 2009 pandemic H1N1 type influenza virus.

Autoantibodies against ganglioside GM3 are associated with narcolepsy-cataplexy developing after Pandemrix vaccination against 2009 pandemic H1N1 type influenza virus. J Autoimmun. 2015 Jul 27; Authors: Saariaho AH, Vuorela A, Freitag TL, Pizza F, Plazzi G, Partinen M, Vaarala O, Meri S Abstract Following the mass vaccinations against pandemic influenza A/H1N1 virus in 2009, a sudden increase in juvenile onset narcolepsy with cataplexy (NC) was detected in several European countries where AS03-adjuvanted Pandemrix vaccine had been used. NC is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy. In human NC, the hypocretin-producing neurons in the hypothalamus or the hypocretin signaling pathway are destroyed by an autoimmune reaction. Both genetic (e.g. HLA-DQB1*0602) and environmental risk factors (e.g. Pandemrix) contribute to the disease development, but the underlying and the mediating immunological mechanisms are largely unknown. Influenza virus hemagglutinin is known to bind gangliosides, which serve as host cell virus receptors. Anti-ganglioside antibodies have previously been linked to various neurological disorders, like the Guillain-Barré syndrome which may develop after infection or vaccination. Because of these links we screened sera of NC patients and controls for IgG anti-ganglioside antibodies against 11 human brain gangliosides (GM1, GM2, GM3, GM4, GD1a, GD1b, GD2, GD3, GT1a, G...
Source: Journal of Autoimmunity - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: J Autoimmun Source Type: research