Increased Nerve-Growth-Factor β-Chain Cross-Reacting Material in Familial Dysautonomia

Abstract
To determine whether dysautonomia arises from alteration in nerve-growth factor (NGF), we measured serum levels of NGF subunits in normal and dysautonomic subjects using a biologic assay based on neurite outgrowth from chick ganglions, a binding assay based on displacement of Radio-labeled βNGF from rabbit-ganglion microsomes, and radioimmunoassays of α, γ and βNGF subunits via antiserum to mouse NGF polypeptides.