Idiopathic polyneuropathy associated with cytotoxic anti-neuroblastoma serum. IgG and IgM immunoglobulin studies.

Serums from six patients with progressive idiopathic acute or chronic polyneuropathy possessed a cytolytic activity against transformed mouse cholinergic or noncholinergic neuroblasts but not against transformed rat astrocytes. This activity was not qualitatively nor quantitatively present in serums from normal controls or from patients with a variety of other motor system disorders and other neurologic disorders. Fluorescein conjugated goat antihuman IgG and IgM monospecific immunoglubulins were used to characterize further the cytotoxic activity from patient serums and these studies suggested the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) directed against a cell surface neuroblastoma antigen. Cold reactive immunoglobulins of the IgG and IgM type were present in the serums of all six patients. A bioassay is described that may be helpful in evaluating other patients with progressive idiopathic polyneuropathies.