Treatment of Guillain-Barré syndrome with high-dose immune globulins combined with methylprednisolone: a pilot study. The Dutch Guillain-Barré Study Group

Ann Neurol. 1994 Jun;35(6):749-52. doi: 10.1002/ana.410350618.

Abstract

In an open study 25 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome were treated for 5 days with intravenous immune globulins in a dose of 0.4 gm/kg of body weight/day and 0.5 gm of methylprednisolone intravenously per day. The results of this combined treatment were compared with the results from a group of 74 patients who were treated with immune globulins only in a recent Dutch Guillain-Barré trial. In the methylprednisolone-immune globulin treatment group, 19 of 25 patients (76%) improved by one or more functional grades after 4 weeks, as compared with 39 (53%) of 74 patients treated with immune globulin alone (p = 0.04). Also the median time required to the stage of walking independently was reduced in the methylprednisolone-immune globulin treatment group. This pilot study suggests that combined treatment with methylprednisolone and immune globulins in patients with the Guillain-Barré syndrome is more effective than treatment with immune globulins alone; a randomized clinical trial might confirm this.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Autoantibodies / blood
  • Combined Modality Therapy / adverse effects
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • G(M1) Ganglioside / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin A / analysis
  • Immunoglobulin G / analysis
  • Immunoglobulin M / analysis
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / adverse effects
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / therapeutic use*
  • Locomotion
  • Methylprednisolone / adverse effects
  • Methylprednisolone / therapeutic use*
  • Middle Aged
  • Motor Activity
  • Pilot Projects
  • Polyradiculoneuropathy / physiopathology
  • Polyradiculoneuropathy / therapy*
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
  • G(M1) Ganglioside
  • Methylprednisolone