[Peripheral neuropathy in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. Antibody activity of monoclonal immunoglobulin M directed against vimentin].

In two patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia complicated with peripheral neuropathy, purified monoclonal immunoglobulin M showed antibody activity specifically directed against vimentin, a major polypeptide of mesenchymal cell cytoskeleton and therefore in Schwann's cell. The neuropathy was of the sensory-motor type. It was improved in one case by plasma exchanges combined with chemotherapy. The relevance of this original antibody activity to the pathogenesis of neuropathy is discussed.