Campylobacter Enteritis and the Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in the United States and worldwide with approximately 2.4 million infections per year in the United States. A now clearly recognized sequelae following Campylobacter infection is the Guillain-Barré syndrome, an acute immune-mediated attack on the peripheral nervous system. How Campylobacter induces Guillain-Barré syndrome is the subject of intense investigation, and this article discusses some of the recent advances in our understanding of the clinical, epidemiologic, and pathogenic features of the disease.
Nachamkin
Irving
I
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 4th Floor Gates Building, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA. nachamki@mail.med.upenn.edu