Apolipoprotein E serum levels in children with Guillain-Barre Syndrome in northwest of Iran

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an acute immune-mediated disease that affects both adults and children. Many infectious and non-infectious conditions may trigger this disease. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a glycosylated protein that has a variety of lipid and non-lipid related functions. The present study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of APOE in children with GBS compared to healthy control subjects to evaluate the diagnostic and pathologic effects of APOE in GBS.
In a cross-sectional design, 124 participants were divided into the GBS group (n=61) and the control group (n=63). Blood sampling and measurement of APOE were done according to the manual of the Human APOE ELISA kit. Demographic variables and further data about GBS patients were collected from patients' medical records. Weight and height were measured using SECA scales. The analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics 21.0 software and appropriate analytical tests. P-values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Mean ±SD of APOE serum levels was 8.43±3.59 micrograms/ml in the GBS group and 35.28±11.18 micrograms/ml in the comparison group. The difference between the two groups was strongly significant (P<0.001). The mean level of protein in Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) in GBS patients was 184.36±19.09 mg/dl. There was not any significant difference in the demographic findings between the two groups.
Our study demonstrated that the serum levels of APOE in children with GBS are lower compared to healthy subjects.