title: Cytomegalovirus infections and anti-GM2 antibodies in Guillain-Barré syndrome.
abstract: To investigate whether antecedent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome are associated with the presence of specific antiganglioside antibodies, acute phase serum samples from 130 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome and 200 controls were tested. Anti-GM2 IgM antibodies were found more often in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome with CMV infection (22%) than in patients without the infection (2%) (P = 0.003). CMV infections may elicit anti-GM2 antibodies in susceptible patients, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with CMV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Dijkzigt and Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: van Doorn
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Groeneveld
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Tio-Gillen
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: van der Meché
mesh_terms: D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005678:G(M2) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D005678:G(M2) Ganglioside