Complement Factors and Acute Phase Reactants in the Guillain-Barré Syndrome

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Abstract
The concentrations of C3, C4, C1 inactivator, C3 proactivator and orosomucoid were determined in sera from 13 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome. The most severely affected patients had the highest levels of C3, C4 and orosomucoid in the acute phase with a slight decline over the following 3–8 weeks. The mildly affected patients had complement concentrations in the upper normal range. In the group of patients with the highest concentrations of C3, C4 and orosomucoid, 4 out of 6 developed residual weakness, while residual weakness was only found in 1 out of 7 with normal concentrations. The measurement of C3 and C4 may, therefore, be of value in estimating the severity and prognosis in the early phase of the disease.