We studied a patient with demyelinating neuropathy and monoclonal IgM kappa antibody to the major myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG). Binding of this monoclonal antibody to the myelin antigen was demonstrated by immunoelectroblot. Binding to MAG seemed to be specific, because it was completely inhibited by MAG isolated from human myelin. Immunostaining was observed with MAG from CNS and peripheral nervous system myelin.

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IntroductionThe Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) collect reported incidents for inclusion in the Australian Radiation Incident Register (ARIR), a database of radiation incident reports that occur within Australia. While the information on previous radiation incidents is available, there is little information on the lessons that can be learned from those past incidents to help prevent the same errors reoccurring. The aims of the study were to investigate what radiation incident registers are publicly available in Australia and to utilise the information contained within the ARIR and any other state or territory radiation protection authority registers to make recommendations for radiographers and radiation therapists to prevent future adverse events.MethodsA search was conducted to locate what radiation incident registers within Australia were available to the public. All adverse events from 2003 to 2014 were compiled into a spreadsheet for analysis. An error‐type classification taxonomy was used to classify the adverse events. Conclusions were drawn from the determined causes to make recommendations to change work practices in an attempt to prevent similar adverse events reoccurring.ResultsIncident registers were located from New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. Radiography represented 76% (243) of the adverse events. A vast majority of the incidents were a failure to comply with time‐out protocols (77%, 248).ConclusionThere are several radiation adverse event registers publicly available to utilise in Australia. All departments need to adopt and strictly adhere to time‐out protocols. This in conjunction with the other recommendations in this article has the potential to dramatically reduce radiation adverse events.

Two mouse monoclonal antiidiotypic antibodies that react with human monoclonal IgM antibodies with specificity for myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) have been used to study the immunological specificity of the reported cross-reactions involving the anti-MAG IgM. Both of the antiidiotypic antibodies are shown to react with the combining site of their respective idiotypic IgM and to inhibit the reaction between IgM and MAG. Using these antiidiotypic antibodies as "surrogate" antigen, we have demonstrated immune cross-reactivity between MAG, a human peripheral nerve glycolipid, and a low-molecular-weight protein of human peripheral nerve myelin. In addition, we have used the two antiidiotypic antibodies to conduct a search for evidence of shared idiotypy among 34 different neuropathy-associated paraproteins. Our results provide no evidence for a neuropathy-associated idiotype, suggesting a degree of polymorphism in the human anti-MAG IgM system.

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