title: Guillain-Barré syndrome following hepatitis E.
abstract: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is often triggered by a preceding bacterial or viral infection. Occasionally, it has been observed in association with acute hepatitis A, B and C, and three cases have been previously described in India in which GBS was associated with acute hepatitis E. A molecular mimicry mechanism is supposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of GBS triggered by infectious agents, although the nature of the shared epitopes has not been characterized in most instances, including that in the case of hepatotropic viruses. We report a case of GBS following acute hepatitis E in a European individual. The presence of antiganglioside GM2 antibodies in this patient suggested molecular mimicry involving ganglioside GM2 in the pathogenesis of GBS associated with hepatitis E.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology, CHU Sart Tilman, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Loly
authors.forename: Estelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rikir
authors.forename: Maxime
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seivert
authors.forename: Emile
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Legros
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Defrance
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Belaiche
authors.forename: Gustave
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moonen
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delwaide