Anti-ganglioside antibodies and clinical outcome of patients with Guillain-Barré Syndrome in northeast Brazil

Objectives – The goal of this study was to investigate the frequency of GM1 antibodies and to assess whether exposure to Campylobacter jejuni was associated with a distinct clinical variant of Guillain–Barré Syndrome (GBS) or disease outcome in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Material and methods – For...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta neurologica Scandinavica 2003-08, Vol.108 (2), p.102-108
Main Authors: Dourado, M. E., Duarte, R. C., Ferreira, L. C., Queiroz, J. W., Illa, I., Perez-Perez, G., Guerrant, R. L., Jerônimo, S. M. B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
anti-ganglioside antibodies
Antibodies - blood
Biological and medical sciences
Biomarkers - blood
Brazil - epidemiology
Campylobacter Infections - complications
Campylobacter Infections - microbiology
Campylobacter jejuni
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
gangliosides
Gangliosides - immunology
Guillain-Barre Syndrome - epidemiology
Guillain-Barre Syndrome - immunology
Guillain-Barre Syndrome - microbiology
Guillain-Barré Syndrome
Humans
Medical sciences
Prognosis
Prospective Studies
Respiration, Artificial
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Summary:Objectives – The goal of this study was to investigate the frequency of GM1 antibodies and to assess whether exposure to Campylobacter jejuni was associated with a distinct clinical variant of Guillain–Barré Syndrome (GBS) or disease outcome in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Material and methods – Forty‐one patients with a presumed diagnosis of GBS were enrolled and prospectively studied between June 1994 and November 1999. Results – Anti‐GM1 was present in 51.2% (n = 21) of patients. The presence of anti‐GM1 was significantly associated with acute axonal motor neuropathy when compared to acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (P = 0.01). Patients with anti‐GM1 antibodies presented distal muscle involvement and fewer sensory deficits. Age, time to nadir and ventilatory assistance were not associated with anti‐GM1 antibodies. Eight out of 21 patients (32%) presented with anti‐C. jejuni antibodies. Clinical features were similar for patients with GBS with positive and negative C. jejuni antibodies. Anti‐GM1 antibodies were associated with C. jejuni infection (P = 0.0005). Presence of anti‐GM1 and C. jejuni antibodies did not indicate a worse prognosis. Conclusion – Patients with GBS and anti‐GM1 antibodies had more distal muscle weakness, fewer sensory deficits, more axonal degeneration and C. jejuni infection, but these findings were not associated with a worse prognosis.
ISSN:0001-6314
1600-0404
DOI:10.1034/j.1600-0404.2003.00103.x