Study of Guillain-Barre syndrome etiology in Pakistani patients

To examine clinical features, biochemical markers, demographic features, antecedent infections, frequency and treatment strategies related to Guillain-Barré syndrome.

The case-control study was conducted at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan, and the District Headquarters Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from 2018 to 2020, and comprised Guillain-Barré syndrome patients in group A and healthy controls in group B. The patients were diagnosed on the basis of clinical presentation, nerve conduction study, electromyography, cerebrospinal fluid analysis and biochemical profile. Data was analysed using SPSS 23.

Of the 167 subjects, 90(54%) were in group A and 77(46%) were in group B. The mean age of group A was 40.20±14.90 years, while there were 61(67.7%) males and 29(32.2%) females compared to 50 (64.93%) males and 27 (35.06%) females with mean age 38.40±12.34 years in group B. Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy was the most common electrophysiological variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome 41(46%). There was significant difference in mean interleukin-17 levels between group A 23.12±3.41 pg/ml and group B 8.82±2.49 (p<0.05). Gastrointestinal infection was the most common preceding infection 51(56.66%). The mean cerebrospinal fluid protein was 100.83±51.32g/dl and albumiocytologic dissociation was found in all the four variants (p= 0.005).

Guillain-Barré syndrome affected patients regardless of age, while males were more affected than females. Majority of the patients had an antecedent infection before disease onset. Increased levels of interleukin-17 showed involvement of autoimmunity. Albuminocytologic dissociation differentiated it from poliomyelitis.