The effects of IVIg therapy on serum levels of neuropeptide Y and cytokines in Guillain-Barré syndrome

Ten years evaluation of epidemiology- and mortality-related factors in adults and children with Guillain-Barré syndrome in the north of Iran

Background

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is the main cause of acute and subacute flaccid paralysis in western nations since the eradication of poliomyelitis.

Objective

The aim of this study is to investigate epidemiology and mortality characteristics of GBS in the north of Iran.

Material and methods

In this study, the hospital information system (HIS) was used to access each patient’s information. The final 174 cases were examined in terms of age, sex, place of residence, the year of referral, the month of referral, the season of referral, client city, accompanying background disease, and the type of GBS.

Results

The mean incidence rate in Guilan province was about 0.69 in 100,000 persons, and the case fatality rate was 10.34%. The most reported type of GBS was AIDP (33.90%), and the most common symptom was upper and lower limbs paresis in 65 cases (37%). Respiratory distress (P =  < 0.001), complications during hospitalization (P = 0.0001), and ICU requirement (P = 0.001) were significantly higher in dead patients.

Conclusion

In this study, the incidence of GBS was higher in men than women and the highest number of cases was in the age group of 60 to 75 years. The significant point was the high-case fatality rate in Guilan province compared to the previous studies. The complications during hospitalization such as respiratory distress, ICU requirement, and underlying disease had a significant relation with the fatality of GBS.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10072-021-05562-y.

Role of Ginkgolides in the Inflammatory Immune Response of Neurological Diseases: A Review of Current Literatures

The inflammatory immune response (IIR) is a physiological or excessive systemic response, induced by inflammatory immune cells according to changes in the internal and external environments. An excessive IIR is the pathological basis for the generation and development of neurological diseases. Ginkgolides are one of the important medicinal ingredients in Ginkgo biloba. Many studies have verified that ginkgolides have anti-platelet-activating, anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidative, neurotrophic, and neuroimmunomodulatory effects. Inflammatory immunomodulation is mediated by inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways. They also inhibit the platelet-activating factor (PAF)-mediated signal transduction to attenuate the inflammatory response. Herein, we reviewed the studies on the roles of ginkgolides in inflammatory immunomodulation and suggested its potential role in novel treatments for neurological diseases.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy and Guillain-Barré syndrome: which came first, the chicken or the egg? A review of literature

Posterior reversible encephalopathy (PRES) is a rare occurrence in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) with only nine adult cases reported to date. We conducted a review of the literature and compared previous cases with a novel case admitted to our clinic. In light of the timing of the symptoms, it is assumable that arterial hypertension can develop acutely during a phase of GBS-related autonomic dysfunction and subsequently precipitates PRES. According to this, dysautonomia caused by GBS could precede motor weakness; thus, PRES in the absence of any strong alternative etiology may suggest an underlying GBS.