Campylobacter Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Campylobacter, including details on food poisoning, infection, symptoms, treatment.

Immune responses to Campylobacter and serum autoantibodies in patients with complex regional pain syndrome.

Goebel A, Vogel H, Caneris O, Bajwa Z, Clover L, Roewer N, Schedel R, Karch H, Sprotte G, Vincent A

Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford Ox3 9DS, UK. andreasgoebel@rocketmail.com

We hypothesised that some complex regional pain syndromes (CRPS) may have a postinfectious and/or autoimmune basis. Sera from 92 patients with CRPS and 92 controls were investigated for immunoreactivity to Campylobacter strains and to rodent tissues. Both IgA-antibodies to Campylobacter and tissue-specific reactivity were often present in patients with short disease duration (< or = 1.5 years). Patients with minimal preceding trauma had stronger nervous tissue-specific reactivity than other patients, regardless of disease duration. These results provide preliminary evidence for immune activation early in CRPS and, additionally, that patients with minimal trauma may comprise an autoimmune subgroup.

Published 18 April 2005 in J Neuroimmunol, 162(1): 184-9.
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