Genetic and Phenotype Mechanisms of <i>Campylobacter</i> in the Induction of Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A Review of Bacterial Virulence

Campylobacter, a foodborne pathogen, is one of the most important bacterial agents causing human gastroenteritis. Although Guillain-Barré and other neuropathy syndromes have been observed after infection with microorganisms, most cases of these syndromes have occurred post-infection with Campylobacter bacteria. Campylobacter has several virulence factors, but those factors in the bacterial cell wall have the highest effect on causing neurological syndromes. Campylobacter mimics peripheral nerve gangliosides using virulence factors in its cell wall. For this reason, the immune system attacks bacteria and gangliosides as foreign agents and causes neurological diseases. Genetic and phenotype mechanisms are identified as the culprits behind these disorders, including lipooligosaccharide, capsular polysaccharides, phase variation, and protein glycosylation. Using these mechanisms, Campylobacter transforms into different phenotypes and genotypes, producing various virulence factors leading to neurological diseases.