Guillain-Barré syndrome after varicella-zoster infection. Report of two cases.
Two patients developed Guillain-Barré syndrome after varicella-zoster infection; a 4-year-old boy after chickenpox and a 74-year-old man after shingles. Both had decreased CD8-positive lymphocytes in the blood during the course of their illness. These cases and others reported in the literature suggest that varicella-zoster infection is a significant but rare trigger factor of Guillain-Barré syndrome. An alteration in the balance of helper and suppressor lymphocytes may be an important pathogenetic mechanism.
Sanders
E A
EA
Department of Neurology, United Medical School, Guy's Hospital, London, England.
Peters
A C
AC
Gratana
J W
JW
Hughes
R A
RA
D000368:Aged; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology