Guillain-Barré Syndrome/Fisher Syndrome

Lead investigator 

Dr. C. Verity
Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Department of Paediatrics 
Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 0QQ

Overview

• Guillain-Barré syndrome is an important cause of acute flaccid paralysis worldwide and it is believed that immune stimulation plays a central role in its pathogenesis.
• Fisher syndrome was described in 1956 and was hypothesised to be a form of GBS. In some cases the clinical findings have features of both GBS and FS so it makes sense to include both conditions in this study.
• GBS was an identified risk with swine flu vaccines used in the United States in 1976 – it is thought that one extra case of GBS occurred with every 100,000 doses of vaccine. The exact reason why the 1976 vaccine increased the risk of GBS remains unknown. Many studies have since looked at whether other flu vaccines used since 1976 may carry a risk of GBS and no robust evidence of a risk has been found.
• No cases of GBS have been found in clinical trials of H5N1. A recent epidemiological study used in the UK found no evidence of an increased risk of GBS after seasonal influenza vaccine but there was a greatly increased risk after influenza like illness.
• It is therefore possible that even if swine influenza vaccines do cause GBS, this risk may be offset by the protection they offer against influenza itself. Thus, both vaccination and swine influenza illness need to be evaluated as potential risk factors for GBS.

Duration: September 2009 to September 2011    

Funding: Department of Health. 

Ethical approval: Trent Research Ethics Committee, REC reference number: 09/H0405/45 and NationalApproval: Information Governance Board reference number: ECC/BPSU 5-02 (FT1)        

Study Contact Details:

Ms. A. M. Winstone, Research Nurse/ Mrs. L. Stellitano, Research Coordinator,
c/o Paediatric Administration Office
Box 267
Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 0QQ.

Email: Lesley Stellitano and Anne Marie Winstone 

Further Information

• Study Protocol (PDF, 25KB, 2 pages)
• Questionnaire (PDF, 100KB, 4 pages)
• Follow-Up Questionnaire (PDF, 60KB, 1 page)

Support Group:

GBS Support Group
LCC Offices
Eastgate
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG34 7EB

Helpline: 0800 374 803 (ROI 0044 1529 415278)
Website: www.gbs.org.uk, E-mail: admin@gbs.org.uk