Familial Guillain-Barré syndrome: First Indian report

• Main Authors: Karkal Ravishankar Naik, Aralikatte Onkarappa Saroja, Basangouda P Patil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2012-01-01
• Series: Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology
• Subjects: Familial Guillain-Barré syndrome; motor conduction block; nerve conduction studies
• Online Access: http://www.annalsofian.org/article.asp?issn=0972-2327;year=2012;volume=15;issue=1;spage=44;epage=47;aulast=Naik

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is the commonest acute immune-mediated peripheral neuropathy. Specific human leukocyte antigen types have been found in patients with axonal and demyelinating subtypes of GBS suggesting genetic susceptibility in the generation of GBS. However, familial occurrence of GBS is rare and 42 patients from 20 families have been reported. Majority of them are from European countries and two families have been documented from Asian countries, while none have been reported from India. Electrophysiological characterization in familial GBS has been limited. We report the clinical and detailed electrophysiological findings in two affected brothers with familial GBS from India who had GBS five years apart. Both of them had mixed axonal and demyelinating features in nerve conductions and had complete clinical recovery. Our report documents the first Indian familial occurrence of GBS. Detailed genetic and epidemiological studies are required to find the true prevalence of familial GBS.