Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and chemokine receptor CCR2 productions in Guillain–Barré syndrome and experimental autoimmune neuritis

Abstract Infiltration of activated lymphocytes and monocytes is a key phenomenon in the pathogenesis of Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS) and experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN). To investigate the role of chemokines, we determined the blood and nerve tissue expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), a major chemoattractant of monocytes and activated lymphocytes, and its receptor CCR2 in GBS and EAN. MCP-1 circulating levels (ng/ml) in GBS were increased at the time of progression, peaked at the time of plateau and normalized with recovery. MCP-1 circulating levels were the highest in the most disabled patients. The number of circulating CCR2 positive cells was lower in patients with GBS than in healthy subjects ( p