title: Molecular characterization of Campylobacter jejuni from patients with Guillain-Barré and Miller Fisher syndromes.
abstract: Campylobacter jejuni has been identified as the predominant cause of antecedent infection in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS). The risk of developing GBS or MFS may be higher after infection with specific C. jejuni types. To investigate the putative clonality, 18 GBS- or MFS-related C. jejuni strains from The Netherlands and Belgium and 17 control strains were analyzed by serotyping (Penner and Lior), restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR products of the flaA gene, amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. Serotyping revealed 10 different O serotypes and 7 different Lior serotypes, thereby indicating a lack of serotype clustering. Two new O serotypes, O:35 and O:13/65, not previously associated with GBS or MFS were found. Serotype O:19 was encountered in 2 of 18 strains, and none was of serotype O:41. The results of all genotypic methods also demonstrated substantial heterogeneity. No clustering of GBS- or MFS-related strains occurred and no molecular marker capable of separating pathogenic GBS or MFS from non-GBS- or non-MFS-related enteritis strains could be identified in this study. Sialic-acid-containing lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are thought to be involved in the triggering of GBS or MFS through molecular mimicry with gangliosides in human peripheral nerves. Therefore, further characterization of GBS- or MFS-related C. jejuni should target the genes involved in the synthesis of LPS and the incorporation of sialic acid.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. ENDTZ@BACLAZR.NL
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Endtz
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van Den Braak
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Duim
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rigter
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Woodward
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wagenaar
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Verbrugh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Belkum
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005408:Flagellin / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D019846:Miller Fisher Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D012703:Serotyping
chemical_list: D005408:Flagellin; C067138:flaA protein, bacteria