Experimental neuritis induced by a mixture of neural antigens and influenza vaccines. A possible model for Guillain-Barré syndrome.

We describe the development in rats of a possible model for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS): experimental neuritis (EN). The clinical symptoms, histopathology and the presence of antibody to nervous tissue are features that EN has in common with both GBS and experimental allergic neuritis (EAN), another GBS model. However, EN may be a more appropriate model than EAN for studying the role of autoimmune reactions in diseases such as GBS, which are triggered by various viruses or antigens, since EN depends on such agents being administered concomitantly with the syngeneic tissue.