有证据显示,该疾病是一种自身免疫类疾病。神经节苷脂抗体发挥了重要作用。它们引发了对周围神经髓磷脂各部分的攻击,有时甚至会对轴索发起攻击。[38]Raphaël JC, Chevret S, Hughes RA, et al. Plasma exchange for Guillain-Barré syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;(7):CD001798.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001798.pub2/fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22786475?tool=bestpractice.com[39]Hughes RA, Hadden RD, Gregson NA, et al. Pathogenesis of Guillain-Barré syndrome. J Neuroimmunol. 1999;100:74-97.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10695718?tool=bestpractice.com该机制尚不清楚,但可能是分子模拟的结果,即由于周围神经某些成分与病原体相似,抗体或T细胞发生识别错误。[40]Hughes RA, Swan AV, van Doorn PA. Intravenous immunoglobulin for Guillain-Barré syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;(9):CD002063.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD002063.pub6/fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25238327?tool=bestpractice.com自体生成的抗 GM1-、GD1a-、GalNac-Gd1a- 及 GD1b 相关神经节甘脂抗体分别与 AMAN、AMSAN 及米勒-费雪综合征亚型密切相关。[15]Hahn AF. Guillain-Barré syndrome. Lancet. 1998;352:635-641.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9746040?tool=bestpractice.com[18]Ho TW, Mishu B, Li CY, et al. Guillain-Barré syndrome in northern China. Relationship to Campylobacter jejuni infection and anti-glycolipid antibodies. Brain. 1995;118:597-605.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7600081?tool=bestpractice.com[41]Yuki N, Yoshino H, Sato S, et al. Acute axonal polyneuropathy associated with anti-GM1 antibodies following Campylobacter enteritis. Neurology. 1990;40:1900-1902.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2247243?tool=bestpractice.com[42]Ogawara K, Kuwabara S, Mori M, et al. Axonal Guillain-Barre syndrome: relation to anti-ganglioside antibodies and Campylobacter jejuni infection in Japan. Ann Neurol. 2000;48:624-631.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11026446?tool=bestpractice.com[43]Jacobs BC, Hazenberg MP, van Doorn PA, et al. Cross-reactive antibodies against gangliosides and Campylobacter jejuni lipopolysaccharides in patients with Guillain-Barré or Miller Fisher syndrome. J Infect Dis. 1997;175:729-733.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9041356?tool=bestpractice.com[44]Walsh FS, Cronin M, Koblar S, et al. Association between glycoconjugate antibodies and Campylobacter infection in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome. J Neuroimmunol. 1991;34:43-51.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1894733?tool=bestpractice.com[45]Gregson NA, Koblar S, Hughes RA. Antibodies to gangliosides in Guillain-Barré syndrome: specificity and relationship to clinical features. Q J Med. 1993;86:111-117.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8464986?tool=bestpractice.com AMAN 与 GM1、GD1a、GalNac-GDa1 及 GD1b 抗体密切相关。[41]Yuki N, Yoshino H, Sato S, et al. Acute axonal polyneuropathy associated with anti-GM1 antibodies following Campylobacter enteritis. Neurology. 1990;40:1900-1902.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2247243?tool=bestpractice.com[42]Ogawara K, Kuwabara S, Mori M, et al. Axonal Guillain-Barre syndrome: relation to anti-ganglioside antibodies and Campylobacter jejuni infection in Japan. Ann Neurol. 2000;48:624-631.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11026446?tool=bestpractice.com[46]Yuki N, Yoshino H, Sato S, et al. Severe acute axonal form of Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with IgG anti-GD1a antibodies. Muscle Nerve. 1992;15:899-903.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1495505?tool=bestpractice.com[47]Gregson NA, Jones D, Thomas PK, et al. Acute motor neuropathy with antibodies to GM1 ganglioside. J Neurol. 1991;238:447-451.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1779252?tool=bestpractice.com
纯感觉型 GBS 可能与 GD1b 抗体有关。[9]Ropper AH. Further regional variants of acute immune polyneuropathy. Bifacial weakness or sixth nerve paresis with paresthesias, lumbar polyradiculopathy, and ataxia with pharyngeal-cervical-brachial weakness. Arch Neurol. 1994;51:671-675.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8018039?tool=bestpractice.com有人已发现,神经节苷脂复合物会影响疾病表型。GD1a/GD1b 或 GD1b/GT1b 抗体可能引起重度 GBS,包含 GQ1b 或 GT1a 的复合物抗体更可能引起 GBS 和费雪综合征患者的眼肌麻痹。[48]Kuijf ML, Godschalk PC, Gilbert M, et al. Origin of ganglioside complex antibodies in Guillain-Barré syndrome. J Neuroimmunol. 2007;188:69-73.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17604126?tool=bestpractice.com但是,仍需要大规模的前瞻性研究来确认这一点。神经束蛋白抗体(一种出现在郎飞氏结上的蛋白)在小部分 (4%) 患者中被发现。[49]Ng JK, Malotka J, Kawakami N, et al. Neurofascin as a target for autoantibodies in peripheral neuropathies. Neurology. 2012;79:2241-2248.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23100406?tool=bestpractice.com
空肠弯曲菌相关感染中,可能是细菌荚膜脂低聚糖与特定的髓鞘神经节甘脂和糖脂间的碳水化合物之间的分子模拟诱导了髓磷脂抗体的产生。[50]Shu XM, Cai FC, Zhang XP. Carbohydrate mimicry of Campylobacter jejuni lipooligosaccharide is critical for the induction of anti-GM1 antibody and neuropathy. Muscle Nerve. 2006;33:225-231.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16270308?tool=bestpractice.com[51]Yuki N, Susuki K, Koga M, et al. Carbohydrate mimicry between human ganglioside GM1 and Campylobacter jejuni lipooligosaccharide causes Guillain-Barré syndrome. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2004;101:11404-11409.http://www.pnas.org/content/101/31/11404.longhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15277677?tool=bestpractice.com
免疫级联反应发生在AIDP 患者中,早期出现脊髓根和周围神经淋巴细胞性浸润。随后出现巨噬细胞介导的节段式髓磷脂剥离。[15]Hahn AF. Guillain-Barré syndrome. Lancet. 1998;352:635-641.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9746040?tool=bestpractice.com这将导致节段性脱髓鞘和单核细胞浸润。[4]Asbury AK, Arnason BG, Adams RD. The inflammatory lesion in idiopathic polyneuritis. Its role in pathogenesis. Medicine (Baltimore). 1969;48:173-215.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5769741?tool=bestpractice.com节段性髓鞘缺失导致神经电信号传导缺陷,从而导致传导阻滞和功能相关的迟缓性麻痹。[52]Brown WF, Feasby TE. Conduction block and denervation in Guillain-Barré polyneuropathy. Brain. 1984;107:219-239.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6697157?tool=bestpractice.com免疫反应一旦停止,髓鞘的修复和再生即开始,大部分情况下,迟缓性麻痹能快速、完全的恢复。[15]Hahn AF. Guillain-Barré syndrome. Lancet. 1998;352:635-641.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9746040?tool=bestpractice.com
AMAN与AIDP不同,其运动和感觉的去神经支配反应不伴有解剖上的脱髓鞘反应,炎症反应亦轻微。[53]Feasby TE, Gilbert JJ, Brown WF, et al. An acute axonal form of Guillain-Barre polyneuropathy. Brain. 1986;109:1115-1126.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3790970?tool=bestpractice.com[54]Griffin JW, Li CY, Macko C, et al. Early nodal changes in the acute motor axonal neuropathy pattern of the Guillain-Barré syndrome. J Neurocytol. 1996;25:33-51.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8852937?tool=bestpractice.com最早证实的病理变化似乎与针对大运动神经纤维中郎飞氏结的免疫球蛋白 G 和激活的补体成分相关。[55]Hafer-Macko C, Hsieh ST, Li CY, et al. Acute motor axonal neuropathy: an antibody-mediated attack on axolemma. Ann Neurol. 1996;40:635-644.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8871584?tool=bestpractice.com巨噬细胞被郎飞氏结沿着轴周间隙游离的髓鞘下行。这样使轴突从施万细胞和完整的髓鞘中游离出来。与入侵的巨噬细胞相接触的轴膜被完全摧毁,而轴突则呈现进行性去神经化改变直至被完全分解。[54]Griffin JW, Li CY, Macko C, et al. Early nodal changes in the acute motor axonal neuropathy pattern of the Guillain-Barré syndrome. J Neurocytol. 1996;25:33-51.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8852937?tool=bestpractice.comGBS 中 AMAN 型相关的空肠弯曲菌菌株具有 GM1 样表位,其与细胞脂多糖膜一致。[7]Mericle RA, Triggs WJ. Treatment of acute pandysautonomia with intravenous immunoglobulin. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1997;62:529-531.http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/62/5/529.longhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9153616?tool=bestpractice.com病理学结果显示选择性末梢运动神经元轴突严重受损,而末梢感觉纤维却完好无损。[56]Safranek TJ, Lawrence DN, Kurland LT, et al. Reassessment of the association between Guillain-Barré syndrome and receipt of swine influenza vaccine in 1976-1977: results of a two-state study. Expert Neurology Group. Am J Epidemiol. 1991;133:940-951.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1851395?tool=bestpractice.com[57]Ho TW, Hsieh ST, Nachamkin I, et al. Motor nerve terminal degeneration provides a potential mechanism for rapid recovery in acute motor axonal neuropathy after Campylobacter infection. Neurology. 1997;48:717-724.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9065554?tool=bestpractice.com