BACKGROUND: To correlate the serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) concentrations before, during and following plasma exchange in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). In this prospective study, 21 GBS patients were selected. Patients in clinical stages III to V were subjected to plasma exchange. The control group included equal numbers of age-matched patients with other neurological diseases and healthy voluntary blood donors. A sandwich ELISA method was applied to estimate serum TNFalpha concentrations in test and control groups. REVIEW SUMMARY: Twelve GBS patients had elevated serum TNFalpha levels that ranged between 74 and 182 pg/mL. All 12 GBS patients showed a steady decrease in the TNFalpha concentration following plasma exchange and also showed a positive correlation with neurological recovery. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that serum TNFalpha concentrations are elevated in 57.1% of GBS patients and TNFalpha level decreases following plasma exchange.
BACKGROUND: To correlate the serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) concentrations before, during and following plasma exchange in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). In this prospective study, 21 GBSpatients were selected. Patients in clinical stages III to V were subjected to plasma exchange. The control group included equal numbers of age-matched patients with other neurological diseases and healthy voluntary blood donors. A sandwich ELISA method was applied to estimate serum TNFalpha concentrations in test and control groups. REVIEW SUMMARY: Twelve GBSpatients had elevated serum TNFalpha levels that ranged between 74 and 182 pg/mL. All 12 GBSpatients showed a steady decrease in the TNFalpha concentration following plasma exchange and also showed a positive correlation with neurological recovery. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that serum TNFalpha concentrations are elevated in 57.1% of GBSpatients and TNFalpha level decreases following plasma exchange.