title: A case-control study of Guillain-Barré syndrome in Harbin, China.
abstract: We evaluated the putative factors for the onset of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in Harbin, China by a case-control study based on the information from GBS patients identified from a population-based incidence survey, which is the first study of this kind in China. Sixty-nine GBS patients were identified during a 1-year period from 1 October 1997 to 30 September 1998, and they were matched with 69 controls for gender and age (+/-5 years). GBS diagnosis was validated by senior neurologists and GBS patients were followed up for 6 months after onset. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each putative factor for the onset of GBS were calculated and compared between GBS cases and controls. Precedent respiratory infections within 2 months before onset were found to be significantly more frequent in GBS patients than in controls (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.21-2.33). Although the number of cases with gastroenteritis among GBS patients was more than double of that in the controls, the difference was not statistically significant (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 0.73-6.96). Other putative factors as well as characteristics regarding family situation, education level, occupation, etc., were not found to be statistically different between GBS patients and controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, E-institutes of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai, China. qi.cheng@ipm.ki.se
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: D-S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: G-X
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: W-Z
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fredrikson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008122:Local Area Networks; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies