title: Changes in lymphocyte subsets in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome treated with immunoglobulin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune condition characterized by peripheral neuropathy. The pathogenesis of GBS is not fully understood, and the mechanism of how intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) cures GBS is ambiguous. Herein, we investigated lymphocyte subsets in patients with two major subtypes of GBS (acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, AIDP, and acute motor axonal neuropathy, AMAN) before and after treatment with IVIG, and explored the possible mechanism of IVIG action.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four patients with GBS were selected for our study and divided into two groups: AIDP (n = 38) and AMAN (n = 26). Thirty healthy individuals were chosen as the control group. Relative counts of peripheral blood T and B lymphocyte subsets were detected by flow cytometry analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the AIDP group, the percentage of CD4+CD45RO+ T cells was significantly higher, while the percentage of CD4+CD45RA+ T cells was notably lower, than in the control group. After treatment with IVIG, the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells and the percentage of CD4+CD45RA+ T cells increased, while the percentages of CD8+ T cells and CD4+CD45RO+ T cells decreased significantly, along with the number of CD19+ B cells. However, there were not such obvious changes in the AMAN group. The Hughes scores were significantly lower in both the AIDP and AMAN groups following treatment with IVIG, but the changes in Hughes scores showed no significant difference between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggested that the changes in T and B-lymphocyte subsets, especially in CD4+T-lymphocyte subsets, might play an important role in the pathogenesis of AIDP, and in the mechanism of IVIG action against AIDP.
authors.forename: Hui Qing
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Xue Dan
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Xiu Juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Key laboratory of Hebei Neurology, Shi jia zhuang 050000, Hebei, China. guoli6105@163.com.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors