[Guillain-Barré syndrome: immunopathology, update]

The discovery of anti-ganglioside antibodies in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has successfully promoted studies on its pathomechanism. Many evidences for each steps of the main hypothesis, 'molecular mimicry hypothesis' have been accumulated, and the clinical features have been organized from the view point of the antibodies. This review focuses on recent progresses in the immunopathomechanisms of GBS, especially on anti-ganglioside complex antibodies, a new paradigm of glycoepitopes, and on individual proinflammatory factors related with pathogenesis and disease severity. The former would extend the importance of the antibodies against glycolipid epitopes in GBS further, and the latter could provide new strategy for therapy.