Guillain‐Barré syndrome associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection in Zimbabwe

Abstract

We studied the clinical features and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serology of 32 consecutive adults with inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (IDP) admitted to the teaching hospitals in Harare, Zimbabwe. Twenty-nine of the IDP patients had Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), and the other three had chronic IDP. Sixteen of 29 (55%) GBS patients were HIV-seropositive, a higher frequency of HIV infection than in blood donors drawn from the population served by these hospitals. All three chronic IDP patients were HIV-seronegative. In all HIV-seropositive patients, GBS was the initial illness that brought the patient to medical attention and led to the diagnosis of HIV infection. Compared with seronegative patients, the HIV-seropositive GBS patients were more likely to have generalized lymphadenopathy, CSF pleocytosis, coexistent CNS disturbance, and prior sexually transmitted disease. GBS in this region of Africa is frequently associated with HIV infection.

Guillain-Barré syndrome in the course of dengue: case report

“…IgM for CMV, HSV, EBV were negative. A second CSF exam was similar to the first, except for an albuminocytologic dissociation (protein 143 mg/dl and 3.7 cells/ mm 3 ). An electromyography showed slowed motor conduction velocity on several peripheral nerves of upper and lower limbs.…”

“…Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr and HIV are some of the viral agents that have been associated with this neurologic syndrome 2,3 . Three previous reports have called attention to a possible relationship between dengue and Guillain-Barré syndrome.…”

“…The initial laboratory workup (February/25/97) revealed: hematocrit 32%, hemoglobin 10.6 g/dl, leucocyte count of 5100 (neutrophils=50%; eosinophils-0.9% lymphocytes=36.8%), platelet count 148000/ mm 3 , total protein 6.7 g/dl (albumin 3.9 g/dl, globulin 2.8 g/dl), AST 35 units/l and ALT 51 units/l. HIV Elisa was negative.…”

Epidemiology of Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy Abroad and in Russia

“…Из 29 па-циентов с СГБ 16 (55 %) были ВИЧ-серопозитивны-ми, отмечалась более высокая частота ВИЧ-инфек-ции, чем среди доноров крови, обследованных среди населения, обслуживаемого этими больницами. Па-циенты с ХВДП были ВИЧ-серонегативными [24]. Южная Африка представляет собой эпицентр расту-щей эпидемии ВИЧ в мире, в том числе Квазулу-Натал, одна из 9 провинций ЮАР.…”

“…В работах C. A. Thornton и соавт. [24] и A. I. Bhigjee [25] показана связь ХВДП у жителей африканского континента с вирусами им-мунодефицита человека (ВИЧ).…”