[Increased serum IgA levels in alcoholic polyneuropathy. Pathogenetic discussion].

Increased serum IgA in patients with direct toxic alcoholic peripheral neuropathy was studied prospectively in 33 patients with an obvious clinical polyneuropathy confirmed by electrophysiological investigations. The average concentration of IgA in this group (450 mg/100 ml) was significantly higher than in a group of 24 matched alcoholic control patients without peripheral neuropathy (306 mg/100 ml), p less than 0.0001. The authors discuss possible direct and indirect modifications of the humoral immune response due to the peripheral neuropathy.