title: Lipopolysaccharides in the development of the Guillain-Barré syndrome and Miller Fisher syndrome forms of acute inflammatory peripheral neuropathies.
abstract: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an acute inflammatory polyneuropathy, is preceded in most cases by an infectious illness, and Campylobacter jejuni, a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis, is the most common antecedent to GBS and its ocular variant, Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS). O (Penner) serotyping is considered to distinguish between C. jejuni strains based on differences in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure. Serotypes of C. jejuni uncommon in enteritis, such as serotype O:19 and O:41, have been associated with GBS. Chemical studies on the core oligosaccharide (OS) of C. jejuni LPSs from serotypes including O:1, O:2, O:4, O:10, O:19, O:23, O:36 and O:41 have revealed structures that mimic human gangliosides including GM1, GD1a, GD2, GD3, and GM2. Research has focused on the view that molecular mimicry may be a factor in the pathogenesis of GBS. Serum antibodies against gangliosides, particularly GM1 ganglioside, are present in 30% of GBS patients, and are highly associated with MFS, but are generally absent in enteritis cases uncomplicated by neuropathy. Collective data from human and animal studies with anti-ganglioside antibodies suggest a pathogenic role for the antibodies. Many aspects of the pathogenesis of GBS are unclear, in particular how LPS is presented to T cells or the role of host factors in disease development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Prendergast
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Moran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity*; D019846:Miller Fisher Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012703:Serotyping; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D005732:Gangliosides; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides