Cellular Hypersensitivity to Basic Myelin (P2) Protein in the Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Abstract

SUMMARY: Lymphocytes of 29 subjects were assayed for MIF production in response to P₂ peripheral nerve protein, crude human peripheral nerve and human central nervous system Al basic myelin protein. Seven were performed in normal control subjects, 12 in Guillain-Barré patients (GB), 5 with other polyneuropathies and 5 in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Only GB patients with acute illness produced MIF in response to neuritogenic P₂ protein and crude human nerve. Two MS patients in the acute phase of an exacerbation and one GB patient produced MIF in Response to Al protein. The results of this study demonstrate cellular hypersensitivity to a neuritogenic constituent in peripheral nervous tissue and support the concept that this may be important in the pathogenesis of GB.