title: Guillain-Barré syndrome: association with Campylobacter jejuni and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Guillain-Barré syndrome is the most common cause of acute neuromuscular paralysis and is considered a post-infectious disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome admitted to the Neurosciences Centre at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences from November 1997 to August 1998 were investigated for evidence of antecedent infections. This case-control study included 2 controls for each patient, one a household control and the other an age- and sex-matched hospital control suffering from a neurological illness other than Guillain-Barré syndrome. Evidence of recent Campylobacter jejuni infection was investigated by culture and serology, and for Mycoplasma pneumoniae by serology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was evidence of recent C. jejuni infection in 35% of the patients compared with 25% of household controls and none of the hospital controls. M. pneumoniae infection was seen in 50% of patients compared with 25% of household controls and 15% of hospital controls. About one-third of the patients (30%) had evidence of both infections. The association of both infections in patients was found to be statistically significant as compared to hospital controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  C. jejuni and M. pneumoniae may be important antecedent illnesses in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome in India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Gorthi
authors.forename: Lata
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.forename: Rama
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
authors.forename: Nidhi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Guillermo I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Perez-Perez
authors.forename: Pinaki
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Panigrahi
authors.forename: Madhuri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis