ACUTE IMMUNE POLYNEUROPATHIES - CORRELATIONS OF SERUM ANTIBODIES TO CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI AND HELICOBACTER-PYLORI WITH ANTI-GM(1) ANTIBODIESAND CLINICAL-PATTERNS OF DISEASE

Antecedent Campylobacter jejuni infection, detected by serologic tests , has been implicated in some acute immune polyneuropathies (AIP). Ant ibodies to Helicobacter pylori, C. jejuni, and GM(1) ganglioside were measured in sera from 35 Chinese patients with AIP. Anti-GM(1) antibod ies were found in 54% of C. jejuni-seropositive, H. pylori-seronegativ e patients. In contrast, anti-GM(1) antibodies were rare in sera that were either seropositive for bath C. jejuni and H, pylori (P = .04) or seronegative for C. jejuni (P = .01). Motor axonal AIP was more commo n in the C. jejuni seropositive, H. pylori-seronegative patients (82%) than in the bacterial antibody-negative group (38%). It was concluded that in AIP patients, C. jejuni-positive sera may be polyreactive, in that it may also react with H. pylori. In this situation, the specifi city for either infection requires further validation. In contrast, se ra with specific C. jejuni seropositivity are associated with both mot or axonal AIP and selective serum IgG anti-GM(1) antibodies.