Risk factors for Guillain-Barre syndrome: a population-based case-control study

We performed the first population-based case-control study on clinical risk factors and drug exposure in Guillain-Barre syndrome (CBS). Sixty patients with GBS were collected through an incidence survey performed in the Emili a-Romagna region of northern Italy. GBS patients were compared with 109 hos pital controls (HC) and 59 population controls (PC) as for clinical events and drug exposure during the month preceding the study inclusion. Compariso n of HC with PC showed no significant difference in the frequency of clinic al events which occurred during the preceding month. This indicated that ou r HC were well representative of the general population for the risk factor s investigated. GBS patients were compared with WC or both WC and PC using both univariate and multivariate analysis. Univariate analysis showed a sig nificant association with fever and upper airway infection symptoms occurri ng in the preceding month. Furthermore, a significantly higher exposure to antibiotics, antipyretics/analgesics, and gangliosides was observed. Howeve r, multivariate analysis showed that only fever was significantly related t o GBS onset (OR 28, 95% CI 5.2-313 for GBS vs. HC; OR 29, 95% CI 7.0-256 fo r CBS vs. HC and PC).