Since the eradication of polio in most parts of the world, Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) has become the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis. GBS is an autoimmune disorder of the peripheral nervous system characterized by weakness, usually symmetrical, evolving over a period of several days or more. Since laboratories began to isolate Campylobacter species from stool specimens some 20 years ago, there have been many reports of GBS following Campylobacter infection. Only during the past few years has strong evidence supporting this association developed. Campylobacter infection is now known as the single most identifiable antecedent infection associated with the development of GBS. Campylobacter is thought to cause this autoimmune disease through a mechanism called molecular mimicry, whereby Campylobacter contains ganglioside-like epitopes in the lipopolysaccharide moiety that elicit autoantibodies reacting with peripheral nerve targets. Campylobacter is associated with several pathologic forms of GBS, including the demyelinating (acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy) and axonal (acute motor axonal neuropathy) forms. Different strains of Campylobacter as well as host factors likely play an important role in determining who develops GBS as well as the nerve targets for the host immune attack of peripheral nerves. The purpose of this review is to summarize our current knowledge about the clinical, epidemiological, pathogenetic, and laboratory aspects of campylobacter-associated GBS.

https://www.ccrc.uga.edu/~rcarlson/GBSyn.pdf

Campylobacter Species and Guillain-Barré Syndrome

https://www.clinicalmicrobiologyandinfection.com/article/S1198-743X(14)63352-8/pdf

Campylobacter, from obscurity to celebrity

Culture media for the isolation of campylobacters.

The putative global posttranscriptional regulator csrA was mutated in Campylobacter jejuni 81-176. The csrA mutant was attenuated in surviving oxidative stress. CsrA also contributed to biofilm formation and adherence to and invasion of INT407 intestinal epithelial cells, suggesting a regulatory role for CsrA in C. jejuni pathogenesis.

Campylobacter jejuni CsrA Mediates Oxidative Stress Responses, Biofilm Formation, and Host Cell Invasion

A method, including enrichment in Arcobacter Selective Broth (ASB) and isolation on semisolid Arcobacter Selective Medium (ASM) under aerobic conditions at 24°C, is described for the isolation of Arcobacter from retail meat products. Selective agents used in ASB and ASM were cefoperazone, trimethoprim, piperacillin and cycloheximide. Arcobacters were isolated from 53 (24.1%) of 220 poultry meat products and also, at lower incidence from samples of beef and pork. The isolates were identified as A. butzleri or A. butzleri-like and belonged to a wide variety of serotypes and biotypes.

A selective medium for the isolation of Arcobacter from meats

Isolation of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli from stool specimens is done by growing campylobacter colonies on solid selective media with or without blood. However, recognition of these colonies can be difficult. Therefore, we decided to evaluate an isolation procedure based on the swarming of campylobacters through a semisolid medium. We developed a semisolid blood-free selective motility (SSM) medium which is composed of Mueller-Hinton broth with 0.4% agar and supplemented with cefoperazone (30 micrograms/ml) and trimethoprim (50 micrograms/ml). The SSM medium was compared with our previously described Butzler Medium Virion (Goossens et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 24:840-843, 1986) and blood-free medium (Bolton and Coates, J. Appl. Bacteriol. 54:115-125, 1983) with cefoperazone (32 micrograms/ml) (Bolton et al., J. Clin. Pathol. 37:956-957, 1986). Of 1,890 routine stool specimens tested, 100 were found to be positive for campylobacters: 95 were recovered with the SSM medium, 94 with the Virion medium, and 90 with the blood-free medium. The SSM medium performed equally well whether it was incubated in the special incubator or the candle jar. Only 4.4 and 7.3% of the plates grew contaminating fecal flora when incubated in the special incubator and the candle jar, respectively. Clearly the SSM medium is easy, quick, cheap, sensitive, and more selective than any other medium which has been developed so far and does not require the addition of blood. We believe that this medium has a future in the routine microbiology laboratory in developed as well as in developing countries. Images

I Galand

Papers

Semisolid blood-free selective-motility medium for the isolation of campylobacters from stool specimens.