title: Treatment of Guillain-Barré syndrome with high-dose immune globulins combined with methylprednisolone: a pilot study. The Dutch Guillain-Barré Study Group.
abstract: In an open study 25 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome were treated for 5 days with intravenous immune globulins in a dose of 0.4 gm/kg of body weight/day and 0.5 gm of methylprednisolone intravenously per day. The results of this combined treatment were compared with the results from a group of 74 patients who were treated with immune globulins only in a recent Dutch Guillain-Barré trial. In the methylprednisolone-immune globulin treatment group, 19 of 25 patients (76%) improved by one or more functional grades after 4 weeks, as compared with 39 (53%) of 74 patients treated with immune globulin alone (p = 0.04). Also the median time required to the stage of walking independently was reduced in the methylprednisolone-immune globulin treatment group. This pilot study suggests that combined treatment with methylprednisolone and immune globulins in patients with the Guillain-Barré syndrome is more effective than treatment with immune globulins alone; a randomized clinical trial might confirm this.
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008124:Locomotion; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside; D008775:Methylprednisolone