The Association of Anti-Ganglioside Antibodies in the Pathogenesis and Development of Zika-Associated Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) has created major outbreaks all over the Americas and has caused severe neurological complications. The main neurological complications linked to ZIKV are Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), encephalitis, myelitis, and microcephaly. We thoroughly searched for published literature on PubMed and found evidence supporting the relationship between ZIKV and GBS. Through April 1, 2020, 429 publications were available on PubMed using the words "Zika associated GBS." Among these, only four results linked anti-ganglioside antibodies to Zika-associated GBS. So, we expanded our search to other platforms like PubMed Central® (PMC), Google Scholar, and Cochrane, after which we shortlisted 28 studies. These studies include review articles, observational studies, case series, and case reports. The information collected from these articles were mainly based on the outbreaks in Latin America and the results that these patients showed in the course of the disease. It took a lag time of 7-10 days for the patients to develop Zika-associated GBS. We used all the evidence regarding the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, neurological complications, and diagnostic criteria that supported the findings of anti-ganglioside antibodies to ZIKV-associated GBS. Patients were detected with the presence of these antibodies in their urine through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. But the mechanism by which the ZIKV causes other complications like myelitis and encephalitis is still unknown and yet to be explored to develop treatment and management strategies.