Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for HIV-associated Guillain-Barré syndrome

To compare the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) added to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and ART alone in people living with human immunodeficiency virus-associated Guillain-Barré syndrome (HIV-associated GBS).

The study was a retrospective analysis of clinical records of HIV-associated GBS patients from department of neurology at West China Hospital between January 2015 and October 2020. Patients treated with ART alone were compared with those treated with IVIG + ART. The primary outcome was the GBS disability score at 4 weeks, which was assessed with multivariable ordinal regression. Additional outcomes include the GBS disability scale at 1 week, improvement of ≥ 1 point on the GBS disability score at 1 and 4 weeks, median change in the MRC sum score at 1 and 4 weeks, number of patients who were able to walk independently at 4 weeks.

Two hundred and fifty-two (252) individuals living with HIV were recruited in the study. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 HIV-associated GBS patients were finally included, of whom 8 were treated with IVIG + ART and 13 were treated with ART alone. At the fourth weeks after treatment, the GBS disability scale grade was significantly lower in patients treated with IVIG + ART than those with ART alone (1 vs. 2, P = 0.02). The adjusted OR for a lower GBS disability scale was 10.6 (95 % CI 1.15 to 98.05; P = 0.03) for the IVIG + ART group. Moreover, 6 of 8 (75 %) patients treated with IVIG + ART were able to walk independently at four weeks after treatment.

The introduction of IVIG combined with ART may be efficacious in the treatment of HIV-infected GBS and may provide better clinical outcomes.