Sulfated Glucuronyl Paragloboside (SGPG)

In patients with neuropathy associated with para-proteinemia, there are monoclonal immunoglobulin M antibodies reacting with myelin-associated glycoprotein and sulfated glucuronyl glycolipids. Micro-vessels were isolated from adult Lewis rat brain cortex. Sulfated glucuronyl paragloboside (SGPG) was detected in the acidic lipid fraction by a TLC immunostaining method. Immunofluorescence studies showed positive staining on the surface of microvessels. In addition, SGPG could be detected in the cultured endothelial cells of human umbilical vein. These findings suggest that the endothelial cells contain an-tigenic sites for interaction with the autoantibodies. This type of interaction may result in damages to the endothelial cell function and may be responsible for changes in the blood-brain barrier permeability and the ensuing penetration of large molecules, such as immunoglobulins, into the endo-neurial space.