Longitudinal changes of anti-ganglioside antibodies before and after Guillain-Barré syndrome onset subsequent to Campylobacter jejuni enteritis.
Anti-ganglioside antibodies frequently are present in sera from patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) during the acute phase, but no patients in whom anti-ganglioside antibodies were tested before the onset of the syndrome have been reported. We describe the first case of GBS subsequent to Campylobacter jejuni infection, in which longitudinal changes in anti-ganglioside antibody titers were measured before and after the onset of limb weakness. Serum antibody titers against GM1 (IgM/IgG), GM1b (IgM/IgG), GalNAc-GD1a (IgM/IgG), and GD1b (IgG) were highest on the day of onset, but negative before onset. Anti-C. jejuni IgG and IgA antibody titers paralleled those of the anti-ganglioside antibodies, indicative that C. jejuni infection triggered anti-ganglioside antibody production. Press et al. [J. Neurol. Sci. 190 (2001) 41] reported that anti-ganglioside antibody titers peaked during the recovery phase, but our findings are counter to theirs. We speculate that anti-ganglioside antibodies are the primary effectors of nerve damage in GBS.
Department of Neurology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Kitakobayashi 880, Mibu, Shimotsuga, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan. m.odaka@dokkyomed.ac.jp
Masaaki
M
Odaka
Michiaki
M
Koga
Nobuhiro
N
Yuki
Keiichiro
K
Susuki
Koichi
K
Hirata
D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D004751:Enteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000378:metabolism; D007239:Infections; D019846:Miller Fisher Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
D000906:Antibodies; D005732:Gangliosides; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes