title: Relapses in the Guillain-Barré syndrome after treatment with intravenous immune globulin or plasma exchange.
abstract: To clarify the question of whether Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) patients treated with intravenous immune globulin (i.v.IG) relapse at a higher frequency than those treated with plasma exchange (PE), 54 patients with GBS were studied retrospectively. A higher frequency of relapses was noted in the PE-treated patients than in those receiving i.v.IG. The presence of an associated medical condition correlated with an increased risk of relapses, while earlier onset of treatment resulted in a decrease of relapses of GBS. This study found no support for prior suggestions of increased relapses in patients with GBS treated with i.v.IG as opposed to those treated with PE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology (D4-5), University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida 33101, USA.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Rotta
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Potter
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Santibanez
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Bradley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000628:therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous