Plasma exchange in Guillain-Barré syndrome: effect on anti-peripheral nerve myelin antibodies.

Increased levels of anti-peripheral nerve myelin (anti-PNM) antibodies were demonstrated by ELISA in serum from 4 of 7 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Treatment with plasma exchange (PE) was performed and 6 of the 7 patients showed clinical improvement with marked increase in muscular strength. One patient, however, continued to deteriorate during the treatment. No correlation between clinical improvement and levels of anti-PNM antibodies was observed. Whether the antibodies are of pathogenetic importance in GBS is therefore still unknown.