Guillain-Barré syndrome after exogenous gangliosides in Italy.

作者：G Landi, R. D’Alessandro, B. Currò Dossi, Susanna Ricci, Isabella Laura Simone, Alfonso Ciccone · 发表于：BMJ · 年份：1993 · DOI：10.1136/bmj.307.6917.1463 · 被引用次数：48 · 研究领域：Peripheral Neuropathies and Disorders、Pituitary Gland Disorders and Treatments、Hereditary Neurological Disorders

Exogenous gangliosides are marketed in several countries and used to treat many neurological diseases.Although no well designed clinical trial has con- vincingly shown their efficacy in diseases of the peripheral or central nervous system, they are widely prescribed, at least in Italy.An estimated 4-1% of the population in Rome were prescribed gangliosides in 1989,1 and in 1991 around 4-2% of the 687 401 people from five local health districts in the Emilia Romagna region received the drugs (N Montanaro, et al, personal communication).The safety of exogenous gangliosides has been questioned.They were withdrawn in Germany because six patients developed the Guillain-Barre syndrome after taking them.Latov et al reported a similar case with high titres of antibodies to monosialo- ganglioside2; they suggested that gangliosides may induce an immune response when made into a complex with serum or tissue proteins.Figueras et el described 17 cases of motor polyneuropathy after ganglioside administration; at least eight of the patients had received the drug for unrelated conditions.3We report 24 further cases of the Guillain-Barre syndrome after ganglioside treatment.