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Relationship of bacterial strains to clinical syndromes of Campylobacter-associated neuropathies.

Kimoto K, Koga M, Odaka M, Hirata K, Takahashi M, Li J, Gilbert M, Yuki N

Department of Neurology and Research Institute for Neuroimmunological Diseases, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Kitakobayashi 880, Mibu, Shimotsuga, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan.

BACKGROUND: Clinical and serologic studies suggest that Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and atypical GBS with preserved muscle stretch reflexes (MSRs) form a continuous spectrum as well as do Fisher syndrome (FS), FS/GBS overlap, Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis (BBE), BBE/GBS overlap, acute ophthalmoparesis (AO), ataxic GBS, and acute oropharyngeal palsy. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the spectrum of neurologic disorders that occur subsequent to Campylobacter jejuni enteritis. METHODS: We recruited patients with various neurologic conditions and from whom C jejuni was isolated. Bacterial features were investigated. RESULTS: Diagnoses for the patients from whom C jejuni was isolated were GBS (n = 90), FS (n = 22), MSR-preserved GBS (n = 10), FS/GBS (n = 6), BBE (n = 1), BBE/GBS (n = 2), AO (n = 3), ataxic GBS (n = 1), and acute oropharyngeal palsy (n = 3). Isolates from MSR-preserved GBS were similar to those of GBS in serotype (HS:19), genotype (lipo-oligosaccharide [LOS] locus class A or B, cst-II genotype [Thr51]), and GM1 or GD1a epitope expression on LOS. FS/GBS overlap, BBE, BBE/GBS overlap, AO, ataxic GBS, and acute oropharyngeal palsy isolates were similar to those of FS in serotype (HS:2 or HS:4-complex), genotype (LOS locus class A or B, cst-II genotype [Asn51]), and GQ1b epitope expression on LOS. CONCLUSIONS: The bacterial findings support the proposal that Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and muscle stretch reflex-preserved GBS comprise a continuous spectrum as well as do Fisher syndrome (FS), FS/GBS overlap, Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis (BBE), BBE/GBS overlap, acute ophthalmoparesis, ataxic GBS, and acute oropharyngeal palsy.

Published 28 November 2006 in Neurology, 67(10): 1837-43.
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