SARS-CoV-2-associated Guillain–Barré syndrome in four patients: what do we know about pathophysiology?

Abstract

Background: A growing number of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) and Miller Fisher Syndrome (MFS) cases following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are reported. Nevertheless, this association is still debated, and pathophysiology remains unclear. Methods: Between April and December 2020, in three hospitals located in Brussels, Belgium, we examined four patients with GBS following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: Neurological onset occurred 3 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 symptoms in all patients. Three patients presented with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) and had negative anti-ganglioside testing: two suffered from a severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and had good clinical outcome after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment; one with mild SARS-CoV-2 infection had spontaneously favorable evolution without treatment. The fourth patient had critical SARS-CoV-2 infection and presented acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN) with clinical features highly suggestive of brainstem involvement, as well as positive anti-ganglioside antibodies (anti-GD1b IgG) and had partial improvement after IVIG. Conclusions: We report four cases of SARS-CoV-2-associated GBS. The interval of 3 weeks between SARS-CoV-2 symptoms and neurological onset, the clinical improvement after IVIG administration, and the presence of positive anti-ganglioside antibodies in one patient further support the hypothesis of an immune-mediated post-infectious process. Systematic extensive antibody testing might help for a better understanding of physiopathology.