Objective: To investigate the relationship between Campylobacter jejuni (CJ) serotype and the high incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) following CJ enteritis in China.
Methods: CJ was isolated from fresh stool of 47 GBS patients in Beijing area from 1995-1997 with a combination of Skirrow method and micro-filtration method. Serotyping of the CJ strains was performed with passive hemagglutination method with standard serum from CDC. 171 CJ strains from CJ enteritis in our hospital in the same period were serotyped with the same method. The stool from which no CJ could be isolated was typed with PCR-RFLP method.
Results: 3 Penner 2, 1 Penner 4, 1 Penner 19 and 1 Penner 26 strains were isolated and serotyped. Three strains which could not be isolated were found by PCR-RFLP method to be DNA-I, which is equivalent to the type of Penner 19. There were some CJ strains which could be typed with serum from CDC.
Conclusion: CJ from GBS patients in Beijing area are similar to those reported in the world; it is suggested that CJ may cause GBS by molecular mimicry mechanism in China. The most common serotype of CJ from GBS was reported to be Penner 19 in Japan, while it was rare in CJ enteritis. However, the similarity of the serotypes between CJ from GBS patients and CJ from enteritis patients may explain the high incidence of GBS following CJ infection in China. Penner 26 is reported to be isolated from GBS patients for the first time.