Detection of new anti-neutral glycosphingolipids antibodies and their effects on Trk neurotrophin receptors.

We screened sera from patients with various neurological disorders for the presence of anti-neutral glycosphingolipids antibodies and only found them in sera from relapsing polychondritis with limbic encephalitis patients. Neutral glycosphingolipids are resident in membrane lipid rafts where high affinity nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor, Trk is co-localized. Therefore, we examined whether these antibodies influence the action of NGF in NGF-responsive cells. The results strongly suggest that these antibodies enhance NGF-induced Trk autophosphorylation and neurite outgrowth as well as neurofilament M expression. These data strongly indicate that these anti-neutral glycosphingolipids antibodies have a functional impact on NGF-Trk-mediated intracellular signal transduction pathway.