Association of Campylobacter jejuni infection with childhood Guillain-Barré syndrome: a case-control study.
A prospective case-control study was conducted to determine the association between Campylobacter jejuni infection and childhood Guillain-Barré syndrome in the Indian population. We found evidence of recent Campylobacter jejuni infection in 27.7% of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome, as compared with 2.3% in neurological controls (P = .003) and 2.3% in nonneurological controls (P = .003). Of the 15 patients with Campylobacter jejuni infection, 8 (53.3%) reported having had diarrhea within 12 weeks before the onset of the neurologic illness. Our results suggest association between recent Campylobacter jejuni infection and bulbar weakness (P = .043). No statistical difference was observed between the Campylobacter jejuni positive and negative groups with respect to age, other clinical features, albuminocytological dissociation, and residual paralysis at follow-up. It is concluded that subclinical Campylobacter jejuni infection is an important antecedent illness in childhood Guillain-Barré syndrome in the Indian population.
Kalra
Veena
V
Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India. kalra.veena@gmail.com
Chaudhry
Rama
R
Dua
Tarun
T
Dhawan
Benu
B
Sahu
Jitendra K
JK
Mridula
B
B
D000367:Age Factors; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010243:Paralysis / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors