What is the cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome

Guillain-Barré syndrome is very common in clinical practice. This disease can occur in both men and women, and is more common in young and middle-aged men. The cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome is very complex, and viral infection is generally not ruled out. Genetics may also be a cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome.

1. Most patients have infections such as cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus or mycoplasma before the onset of the disease, but the cause of a few cases is unknown. The nature of this disease is still unclear, but it may be related to immune damage. Injection of patient serum into animal nerves can produce perivenous demyelinating lesions. In addition, C3b and immunoglobulin C (mainly IgG or IgM) are present in the patient's neural tissue. The above facts suggest that this disease may be related to humoral immunity. However, no antibodies to myelin proteins have been found in the blood of patients so far. One of the side effects of the H1N1 vaccine is the possibility of Guillain-Barré syndrome.

2. Guillain-Barré syndrome refers to an acute onset disease whose cause and pathogenesis have not yet been fully elucidated. It is generally believed to be a delayed allergic reaction immune disease caused by a history of nonspecific infection and vaccination before the onset of the disease. Its main lesion is extensive inflammatory segmental demyelination of the peripheral nerves. The clinical symptoms include a history of upper respiratory tract or digestive tract infection 1-4 weeks before onset, or a history of vaccination. The disease can occur in all seasons, but is more common in summer and autumn.

3. Vaccination: In a set of data, 4.5% of 1,034 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome developed after vaccination. It is common after vaccination with influenza vaccine, hepatitis vaccine, and measles vaccine. In 1995, our department admitted a case of Guillain-Barré syndrome that occurred after hepatitis A vaccination.

4. Genetics: Some people report that the frequencies of A3 and B8 genes in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome are significantly increased, and believe that Guillain-Barré syndrome is related to genetics.