Electrophysiological studies in Guillain-Barré syndrome: correlation with antibodies to GM1, GD1B and Campylobacter jejuni.

A retrospective study of 50 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) correlated analysis of serial motor nerve conduction studies with the presence of antibodies to Campylobacter jejuni, GM1 and GD1b, determined by ELISA. GBS patients with antibodies to C. jejuni (n = 8), GM1 (n = 4), or GD1b (n = 4) showed electrophysiological features suggestive of demyelination with prolonged distal motor latencies and temporal dispersion/conduction block similar to GBS patients without these specific antibodies. Three of 50 GBS patients had poor recovery with inability to walk at 1 year after onset of symptoms. All three patients had antibodies to C. jejuni, but not to GM1 or GD1b. Although later on in the clinical course distal motor responses were absent in two of these patients, reflecting extensive axonal degeneration, early nerve conduction studies showed findings suggestive of demyelination. We suggest that demyelination of peripheral nerve may be the initial disease mechanism in GBS independent of the presence of antibodies to C. jejuni, GM1 or GD1b.