Comparative study of preceding Campylobacter jejuni infection in Guillain-Barre syndrome in Japan and The Netherlands

A comparative study mas made in Japan and The Netherlands of the presence o f preceding Campylobacter jejuni infections in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS ). It was conducted in two laboratories using different: serological criter ia. The Japanese results showed no significant difference in the frequency of C jejuni infection between the Japanese (17/88, 19%) and Dutch (21/132, 16%) patients with GBS. The Dutch investigation showed a higher frequency i n Dutch patients (45/132; 34% than in Japanese patients (20/88: 23%), but. the difference did not reach significance. Although the frequencies of prec eding C jejuni infection have been reported to be higher in Asian countries than in western countries, the findings of this collaborative study shaw t hat the incidence of antecedent C jejuni infection in GBS in Japan is not h igher than in The Netherlands and that serological assays vary considerably between laboratories.