Demyelinating Guillain-Barré syndrome recurs more frequently than axonal subtypes.

Abstract

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is considered a monophasic disorder yet recurrences occur in up to 6% of patients. We retrospectively studied an Italian-Japanese population of 236 GBS and 73 Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) patients and searched for factors which may be associated with recurrence. A recurrent patient was defined as having at least two episodes that fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for GBS and MFS with an identifiable recovery after each episode and a minimum of 2months between episodes. Preceding Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) infection and antiganglioside antibodies were also assessed. Seven (3%) recurrent GBS and one (1.4%) recurrent MFS patients were identified. In the individual patient the clinical features during episodes were usually similar varying in severity whereas the preceding infection differed. None of the patients had GBS in one episode and MFS in the recurrence or vice versa. Recurrent GBS patients, compared with monophasic GBS, did not have preceding diarrhea at the first episode and considering the electrophysiological subtypes, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathies recurred more frequently than axonal GBS (6.5% vs 0.9%, p=0.04). In conclusion in a GBS population with a balanced number of demyelinating and axonal subtypes less frequent diarrhea and demyelination at electrophysiology were associated with recurrence.

• Authors: Francesca Notturno, Norito Kokubun, Yukari Sekiguki, Takahide Nagashima, Angelo De Lauretis, Nobuhiro Yuki, Satoshi Kuwabara, Antonino Uncini
• Journal: Journal of the neurological sciences (J Neurol Sci) Vol. 365 Pg. 132-6 (Jun 15 2016) ISSN: 1878-5883 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 27206890 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Chemical References

• Antibodies
• Gangliosides

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Antibodies (metabolism)
• Campylobacter Infections (epidemiology, immunology)
• Child
• Electric Stimulation
• Female
• Gangliosides (immunology)
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome (epidemiology, physiopathology)
• Humans
• Italy (epidemiology)
• Japan (epidemiology)
• Longitudinal Studies
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Miller Fisher Syndrome (epidemiology, physiopathology)
• Neural Conduction (physiology)
• Recurrence
• Retrospective Studies
• Statistics, Nonparametric
• Young Adult