Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of 51 patients diagnosed with GBS at a single Italian institution.
| Overall (n = 51) | Baseline Na+ ≥ 140 mEq/L (n = 30) | Baseline Na+ <140 mEq/L (n = 21) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 56.0 (34.0–70.0) | 43.5 (29.5–70.0) | 66.0 (48.0–72.0) | 0.054 |
| Sex (M, %) | 30 (58.8%) | 20 (66.7%) | 10 (47.6%) | 0.249 |
| Mod. Rankin scale (score, %) | 0.079 | |||
| 0 | 42 (82.4%) | 24 (80.0%) | 18 (85.7%) | |
| 1 | 3 (5.9%) | 1 (3.3%) | 2 (9.5%) | |
| 2 | 5 (9.8%) | 5 (16.7%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 3 | 1 (2.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (4.8%) | |
| Symptom onset (days) | 6.0 (3.0–14.5) | 9.5 (3.0–15.0) | 5.0 (5.0–8.0) | 0.265 |
| Previous infection (Yes, %) | 35 (68.6%) | 23 (76.7%) | 12 (57.1%) | 0.220 |
| GBS type (MFS, %) | 3 (5.9%) | 2 (6.7%) | 1 (4.8%) | 1.000 |
| Involvement (Yes, %) | ||||
| Bulbar | 20 (39.2%) | 11 (36.7%) | 9 (42.9%) | 0.773 |
| Cranial | 20 (39.2%) | 12 (40.0%) | 8 (38.1%) | 1.000 |
| Respiratory | 10 (19.6%) | 6 (20.0%) | 4 (19.0%) | 1.000 |
| Motor | 44 (86.3%) | 25 (83.3%) | 19 (90.5%) | 0.685 |
| Sensorial | 38 (74.5%) | 20 (66.7%) | 18 (85.7%) | 0.193 |
| Pain | 22 (43.1%) | 12 (40.0%) | 10 (47.6%) | 0.774 |
| Dysautonomia | 21 (41.2%) | 13 (43.3%) | 8 (38.1%) | 0.778 |
| Areflexia | 49 (96.1%) | 28 (93.3%) | 21 (100.0%) | 0.506 |
| CSF protein (mg/dL) | 82.0 (53.3–113.0) | 87.0 (51.0–113.0) | 82.0 (59.5–98.0) | 0.792 |
| Hematocrit (%) | 40.9 (37.0–43.8) | 42.0 (37.3–43.9) | 38.7 (35.9–43.6) | 0.140 |
| Anti-ganglioside Ab (%) | 0.278 | |||
| Positive | 32 (62.7%) | 22 (73.3%) | 10 (47.6%) | |
| Negative | 11 (21.6%) | 5 (16.7%) | 6 (28.6%) | |
| NA | 8 (15.7%) | 3 (10.0%) | 5 (23.8%) | |
| EMG findings (%) | 0.762 | |||
| Axonal | 18 (35.3%) | 10 (33.3%) | 8 (38.1%) | |
| Demyelinating | 30 (58.8%) | 19 (63.3%) | 11 (52.4%) | |
| NA | 3 (5.9%) | 1 (3.3%) | 2 (9.5%) | |
| Neuropathy type (%) | 0.854 | |||
| Motor | 30 (58.8%) | 19 (63.3%) | 11 (52.4%) | |
| Sensory | 1 (2.0%) | 1 (3.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
| Both | 18 (35.3%) | 10 (33.3%) | 8 (38.1%) | |
| NA | 2 (3.9%) | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (9.5%) | |
| Concomitant therapy (Yes, %) | ||||
| Thiazide Diuretics | 3 (5.9%) | 1 (3.3%) | 2 (9.5%) | 0.561 |
| Antidepressants | 8 (15.7%) | 5 (16.7%) | 3 (14.3%) | 1.000 |
| Anticonvulsants | 3 (5.9%) | 1 (3.3%) | 2 (9.5%) | 0.561 |
| Antipsychotics | 2 (3.9%) | 2 (6.7%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.506 |
| PPI | 10 (19.6%) | 5 (16.7%) | 5 (23.8%) | 0.722 |
| NSAID | 3 (5.9%) | 2 (6.7%) | 1 (4.8%) | 1.000 |
Variables are reported as median (IQR) or number (percentage), as appropriate. Ab, antibodies; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; EMG, electromyography; PPI, proton-pump inhibitors; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.