Ganglioside-like epitopes of lipopolysaccharides from Campylobacter jejuni (PEN 19) in three isolates from patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Sera from patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) frequently have anti-GM1 antibody. We earlier showed that an lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Campylobacter jejuni (PEN 19) isolated from a GBS patient has a GM1 ganglioside-like structure. Aspinall et al. (Biochemistry, 61 (1994) 335-337) reported that OH 4382 has an LPS that bears a CD3 ganglioside-like structure and that OH 4384 has an LPS that bears a GT1a-like structure; both strains were isolated from patients with GBS. They also suggested a GM1-like structure is present in the LPSs from OH 4384, but failed to show the presence in the LPSs from OH 4382. To clarify the pathogenesis of GBS after infection by C. jejuni (PEN 19), we investigated the carbohydrate structures of the three strains by thin-layer chromatography immunostaining with cholera toxin and monoclonal anti-ganglioside antibodies. We found that both OH 4382 and OH 4384 have an LPS with the GM1 epitope as well as one with the GT1a or GD3 epitope.