Factors influencing outcome in Guillain-Barré Syndrome: comparison of plasma adsorption against other treatments.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate which factors influence the outcome of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), focusing on the choice of treatments.

METHODS: Sixty-three GBS patients were retrospectively studied and the following factors were evaluated: sex, age, days from onset of disease to the start of treatment, severity of symptoms, prior infection, autonomic dysfunction, bulbar palsy, anti-ganglioside antibody, and disease form, as well as the choice of treatment. Plasma adsorption (PA, n=39), plasma exchange (PE, n=14), or immunoglobulin treatment (IVIg, n=10) were performed in this study. Outcomes were evaluated using the functional grading scale (FGS) of Hughes.

RESULTS: The number of days needed for one functional grade improvement was significantly longer in the elderly, the severe symptom group, and patients with acute motor axonal form, and days needed for two functional grade improvement was significantly longer in the elderly, patients with autonomic dysfunction, and acute motor axonal form. The choice of treatments (PA, PE, or IVIg) did not significantly influence the outcome as determined by both univariate and multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION: Although patient age, symptoms, and disease form influenced the outcome, treatment methods did not significantly influence the outcome. Since PA does not result in a risk of unknown infection, choosing a PA treatment may be justified, especially for patients (or doctors) who may be anxious about a possibility of unknown infection.