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

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.