[History of Guillain-Barré Syndrome]

Abstract

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute self-limited polyneuropathy named after Guillain, Barré, and Strohl, who first reported it in 1916. GBS was considered a demyelinating disease until the 1980s, when the acute axonal type of GBS was first reported. Since then, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and acute motor axonal neuropathy have been considered the two main subtypes of GBS. Autoimmunity underlies the pathogenesis of GBS. The presence of antibodies against various glycolipids in the acute-phase sera from patients with GBS has frequently been reported since the late 1980s. The effectiveness of plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy has been established since the mid-1980s. However, severe or refractory cases still occur and further investigation is necessary for the development of novel treatments that are effective for such cases.