Campylobacter jejuni from patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome preferentially expresses a GD1a-like epitope

GM(1)- and GD(1a)-like ganglioside mimicry in Campylobacter jejuni lipooligosaccharide (LOS) is considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of Campylobacter-induced Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Compared with gastroenteritis-related isolates, GBS-related C. jejuni isolates were strongly associated with the expression of GDla-like mimicry. The presence of a few genes involved in LOS ganglioside mimicry, cst-II, cgtA, and cgtB, was also associated with GBS-related strains. GDla like epitope expression may be an important virulence phenotype associated with the risk of developing GBS following campylobacter infection.