B. Speed found, that Guillain-Barre Syndrome is about 90 times less likely than Campylobacteriosis [1]. Guillain-Barre Syndrome is exclusively connected with one single strain of Campylobacter, namely serotype PEN19:LIO7. This strain makes only 2% of all the Campylobacter strains [2]. Guillain-Barre Syndrome itself is connected with HIV-infection. In Zambia of eight persons with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which were otherwise healthy, six (75%) had in 1987 HIV-antibodies [3]. In Zimbabwe in 1987 of 29 patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, otherwise healthy, 16 (55%) had HIV-antibodies. The HIV-seroprevalence at that time in the general population was estimated to be 4.3%. [4] In 1989 five of 16 Guillain-Barre Syndrome-patients, otherwise healthy, had HIV-antibodies. [5]
In the USA of 39 persons with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, but otherwise healthy, three had HIV antibodies. [6] In Baltimore two patients with acute Guillain-Barre Syndrome and six with chronic symptoms, all eight otherwise healthy, were found to be HIV-infected. [7]. In Miami in the years 1983, 1984 and 1985 six patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, otherwise healthy, were found to be HIV-infected. [8]
In France a homosexual male with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, but otherwise healthy, was found to be recently infected by HIV, [9] similar was reported from Spain. [10]
In all these cases the HIV-infection had not been known before the Guillain-Barre Syndrome symptoms. This points to a rather recent HIV-infection in relation to the production of the Guillain-Barre Syndrome symptoms.
Homosexual men in USA and Canada show clearly, that beside Giardia lamblia strains of Campylobacter were used to transmit HIV to them. Because of an above average infection with Giardia-containing-HIV at the time before HIV-immunosuppression we find above average immunoreactions against Giardia among homosexual men resulting in a below average incidence of Giardiasis in stool of homosexual men with HIV-infection and above average anti-Giardia antibodies in blood. [11]
The same phenomena are seen in homosexual men concerning Campylobacter and Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter pylori, alias Helicobacter pylori, respectively specific new types Helicobacter cinaedi (Greek language for ”of the homosexual”), and Helicobacter fenelli [12], or Campylobacter cryaerophila [13] appeared to a large extent exclusively among homosexual men f.e. in Vancouver, Canada and Seattle, USA. Homosexual men had significantly more serum antibodies against Campylobacter than heterosexual men. [14] The appearance was unexplained because there was ”lack of evidence for sexual transmission”. [15]
The more mysterious it was, that AIDS-patients inspite their immunodeficiency were spared by campylobacter-helicobacter diseases. USA scientists interpreted that as a dysfunction of the optical capacities of the researchers: ”Campylobacter jejuni infection may be overlooked in patients with AIDS.” [16] In Zaire of children treated because of diarrhoea those without HIV-antibodies have Campylobacter in their stool, and those with HIV-antibodies do not have Campylobacter in their stool. Specialists from the USA explain this resistance in the following way: ”The low prevalence of Campylobacter ... may reflect the difficulty in recovering the organism...” [17]
In London 47% of persons without HIV-antibodies compared to 14% with HIV-antibodies had Campylobacter in stool [18], in Australia 3% of AIDS patients compared to 22% of blood donors [19], in Texas were 12% of HIV patients compared to 50% of HIV-uninfected found to harbour Helicobacter [20], in New York 15.9% of AIDS patients compared to 56% of controls [21], in San Francisco 0% of HIV-patients [22], in Italy 19% of persons with HIV compared to 35% without HIV [23], in Duesseldorf, Germany 0% of persons with HIV-antibodies compared to 41.5% of controls [24] and in Koeln, Germany 100% of gastric patients without HIV and 73% of patients with HIV [25] harboured Helicobacter pylori. It is significant that the authors of that study designate the 27% increased resistance among persons with HIV-infection as ”decreased susceptibility.”
The application of the author to present these data and considerations at the XIth International Conference on AIDS in Vancouver 7. July - 12. July 1996 was rejected by the organizers. [26]
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[9]Persuy P, Arnott G, Fortier B, et al. Syndrome de Guillain et Barre d'evolution favorable dans un cas d'infection recente par le virus de l'Immunodeficience Humaine. Rev Neurol 1988;144:32-5.
[10]Vendrell J, Heredia C, Pujol M, et al. Guillain-Barre syndrome associated with seroconversion for anti-HTLV-III. Neurology 1987;37:544.
[11]Geisler W. AIDS, Origin, Spread, and Healing. Koeln 1994: Verlag W. Geisler:33-4.
[12]Fennell CL, Totten PA, Quinn TC, et al. Characterization of Campylobacter-like organisms
isolated from homosexual men. J Infect Dis 1984;149:58-66.
Quinn TC, Goodell SE, Fennell C, et al. Infections with Campylobacter jejuni and
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[13]Tee W, Baird R, Dyall-Smith M, et al. Campylobacter cryaerophila isolated from a human. J Clin Microbiol 1988;26:2469-73.
[14]Aceti A, Attanasio R, Pennica A, et al. Campylobacter pylori infection in homosexuals. Lancet 1987;2:154-5.
[15]Polish LB, Douglas JM, Davidson AJ, et al. Characterization of risk factors for Helicobacter pylori infection among men attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic: Lack of evidence for sexual transmission. J Clin Microbiol 1991;29:2139-43.
[16]Perlman DM, Ampel NM, Schifman RB, et al. Persistent Campylobacter jejuni infections in patients infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Ann Int Med 1988;108:540-6.
[17]Pavia AT, Long EG, Ryder RW, et al. Diarrhea among African children born to human immunodeficiency virus 1-infected mothers: Clinical, microbiologic and epidemiologic features. Pediatr Infect Dia J 1992;11:996-1003.
[18]Walker MM, Francis ND, Logan RPH, et al. Campylobacter pylori in the upper gastrointestinal tract of patients with HIV infection. In: Megraud F, Lamouliatte H, eds. Gastroduodenal pathology and Campylobacter pylori. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., 1989:553-6.
[19]Edwards PD, Carrick J, Turner J, et al. Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis is rare in AIDS: Antibiotic effect or a consequence of immunodeficiency? Am J Gastroent 1991;86:1761-4.
[20]Bernal A, Rachal L, DelJunco G, et al. Helicobacter pylori infection in HIV+ patients. International Conference on AIDS. San Francisco, 1990:abstract ThB371.
[21]Marano BJ, Smith F, Bonanno CA. Helicobacter pylori prevalence in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Am J Gastroent 1993;88:687- 90.
[22]Wilcox CM, Byford BA, Forsmark CE, et al. Campylobacter-like organisms are uncommon pathogens in patients infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. J Clin Microbiol 1990;28:2370-1.
[23]Berighi A, Bicocchi R, Libanore M, et al. Helicobacter pylori infection in HIV positive patients of Northeastern Italy. International Conference on AIDS. Amsterdam, 1992:abstract PUB7041.
[24]Jablonowski H, Themann M, Szelenyi H, et al. Prospective age-matched study of Helicobacter pylori and peptic ulcer prevalence in HIV-seropositive (HIV+) and seronegative (HIV-) patients. International Conference on AIDS. Berlin 1993:abstract PO-B19-1839.
[25]Benz J, Hasbach H, Brenden M, et al. Humoral and cellular immunity in HIV negative Helicobacter pylori infected patients. Zbl Bakt 1993;280:186-96.
[26]Montaner Julio S.G., Program Co-Chair, O'Shaughnessy Michael V, Program Co-Chair. XI International Conference on AIDS, Vancouver, Canada, July 7-12, 1996. Personal communication to Geisler W, 1996 Mar 31.