Clinical Trial: The Changes of Cytokines in Guillain Barré Syndrome: the Correlation With Clinical Manifestations and Skin Innervation

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: The Changes of Cytokines in Guillain Barré Syndrome: the Correlation With Clinical Manifestations and Skin Innervation

Brief Summary: In order to increase our understanding about the pathogenic mechanism and the strategy of treatment in the subtypes of Guillain Barré syndrome, we will check the temporal changes of cytokines with different biological activities in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), check the titer of various anti-ganglioside antibodies, perform skin biopsy and correlate these data with the clinical findings such as severity and prognosis

Detailed Summary:

In the past the nerve system has long been regarded as a privileged site of immune system due to (1) the absence of lymphatic drainage, which limits the immunological circulation; (2) the blood-brain barrier (BBB) or blood-nerve barrier (BNB), which limits the passage of immune cells and factors; (3) the low level of expression of MHC factors, particularly MHC II, in the resident cells of the nerve system and the lack of potent antigen presenting cells, such as dendritic or Langerhans' cells, both of which lead to reduced recognition of the neurons or nerves by the immune system; and (4) the presence of immunosuppressive factors such as TGF-b. which suppress the immune response in the nervous system.

However in the past few years, the concept of privilege is revised, that is the differences in the immunological aspects between the nervous system and other organs are more quantitative than absolutely qualitative. Several lines of evidence indicate that BBB and BNB are not complete both anatomically and functionally and activated T cells can cross these barriers and traffic in and out the nervous system. The nervous system also contains a collection of immunologically resident cells, including professional or non-professional antigen presenting cells such as resident endoneurial or perivascular macrophage, glial cells, Schwann cells and endoneurial capillary endothelial cells, which are capable of synthesizing cytokines that were initially classified within the domain of the immune system and are found to express a range of appropriate specific receptors, both characteristics mediate the immunological processes in the nervous system.

The nerve system is therefore a target of immune attacks. Many disorders of the central or peripheral nerve system are related to activation of the immune system. Immune mechanisms seem importan
Sponsor: National Taiwan University Hospital

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Information By: National Taiwan University Hospital

Dates:
Date Received: September 12, 2005
Date Started: June 2005
Date Completion:
Last Updated: November 29, 2005
Last Verified: June 2005