Sodium fusidate in Guillain-Barré syndrome: a case report
- Ferdinando Nicolettia,
- Alessandra Nicolettib,
- Salvatore Giuffridab,
- Roberto Di Marcoc,
- PierLuigi Meronid,
- Klaus Bendtzene,
- Michele Lunettaf
- aInstitute of Microbiology, University of Milan, Italy, bInstitute of Neurology, University of Catania, Italy, cInstitute of Microbiology, University of Catania, Italy, dIRCCS Policlinico, Milan, Italy, eInstitute for Inflammation Research, RHIMA Center Rigshospitalet National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, fInstitute of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Catania, Italy
- Dr Ferdinando Nicoletti, Via Luigi Sturzo 3, 95021, Cannizzaro, Catania, Italy. Telephone 0039 347 3369125; fax 0039 95 325032; emailfnicol{at}herganet.it
- Received 26 September 1997
- Revised 5 January 1998
- Accepted 13 January 1998
Abstract
A patient with Guillain-Barré syndrome is reported on who responded favourably to a short course treatment with the novel immunosuppressant sodium fusidate (Fucidin), given at a daily dose of 1.5 g for one week. Along with prompt and clear cut clinical improvement, treatment with Fucidin was associated with a rapid decline in the blood concentrations of inflammatory cytokines presumably implicated in the pathogenesis of Guillain-Barré syndrome such as interleukin-2, interferon-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-α. The ex vivo production of these cytokines was also markedly diminished compared with pretreatment values. Fucidin was well tolerated and no clinical or biochemical side effects were seen.
