Guillain-Barré syndrome historical perspective


 * Associate Editors-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, MBBS [mailto:psingh@perfuse.org]

Overview
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute, autoimmune, polyradiculoneuropathy affecting the peripheral nervous system, usually triggered by an acute infectious process. It was first reported by Landry in 1859 as a case study of 10 patients with ascending paralysis. Later the characteristic features of the disease like flaccid paralysis, areflexia and CSF findings were reported by Guillain, Barré, and Strohl. The syndrome was later named Guillain-Barré syndrome after these physicians.

Historical perspective

 * The disease was first described by the French physician Jean Landry in 1859.
 * In 1916, Georges Guillain, Jean Alexandre Barré and Andre Strohl diagnosed two soldiers with motor weakness, areflexia and a the key diagnostic abnormality of increased spinal fluid protein production, but normal cell count. . Later, it was called Guillain-Barré syndrome after them.
 * GBS is also known as acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, acute idiopathic polyradiculoneuritis, acute idiopathic polyneuritis, French Polio and Landry's ascending paralysis.

Notable cases

 * Markus Babbel, former international footballer, contracted GBS in 2001, following a period suffering from the Epstein–Barr virus. He lost almost an entire year of his footballing career between the two illnesses and never again demonstrated the same level of ability that won him over 50 caps for Germany.
 * Tony Benn, British politician.
 * Rachel Chagall, actress, contracted GBS in 1982. In 1987 she portrayed Gabriela Brimmer, a notable disabilities activist.
 * Samuel Goldstein, American athlete and Paralympian.
 * Andy Griffith, American actor on The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock, developed Guillain–Barré in 1983.
 * Joseph Heller, author, contracted GBS in 1981. This episode in his life is recounted in the autobiographical No Laughing Matter, which contains alternating chapters by Heller and his good friend Speed Vogel.
 * Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson. Diagnosed and under treatment for Guillain–Barré in April 2010.
 * Hugh McElhenny, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and former professional American football player with the San Francisco 49ers.
 * Lucky Oceans, Grammy Award-winning musician with Asleep at the Wheel, was diagnosed with GBS in 2008.
 * Len Pasquarelli, sports writer and analyst for ESPN and resident of the Pro Football Writers of America, was diagnosed in 2008.
 * Serge Payer, Canadian-born professional hockey player. After battling and overcoming the syndrome, he set up the Serge Payer Foundation, which is dedicated to raising money for research into new treatments and cures for Guillain–Barré syndrome.
 * William “The Refrigerator” Perry, former professional American football player with the Chicago Bears, Super Bowl XX champion, and former Clemson University consensus 1st team All-American, was diagnosed with GBS in 2008.
 * Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. president. In 2003, a peer-reviewed study found that Roosevelt's paralysis &mdash; long attributed to poliomyelitis &mdash; was more likely caused by Guillain–Barré syndrome.
 * Norton Simon, American industrialist and philanthropist.
 * Hans Vonk, Dutch conductor.
 * Danny Wuerffel, 1996 Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Florida.