Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Some of the neurological diseases are common causes of disability and death world wide. Among them, stroke and degenerative diseases are of importance. But the acute conditions like infection and vascular phenomenon usually carries good prognosis whereas chronic illnesses like motor neuron disease and Parkinson’s disease give rise to more disability. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is one of the commonest causes of acute symmetrical flaccid paralysis of limbs in much of the world. The basic pathogenesis of this disease is the involvement of nerve roots by antigen and antibody mediated reaction. The disease is often preceded by an antecedent, either upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) or gastroenteritis by virus or bacteria. The antigens of these organisms have molecular mimicry with that of gangliosides of nerve roots. The antibody produced against the organism’s antigen interacts with the gangliosides of nerve root and results either demyelination or axonopathy or both.