Mimicry of peripheral nerve gangliosides by Campylobacter jejuni lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) has been proposed to induce cross-reacting antiganglioside antibodies in Guillain-Barr? syndrome (GBS). Because current methods for LPS characterization are labor-intensive and inhibit the screening of large numbers of strains, a rapid GM(1) epitope screening assay was developed. Biomass from two agar plates of confluent growth yielded sufficient LPS using a novel phenol-water and ether extraction procedure. Extracts of LPS were reacted with cholera toxin (GM(1) ligand), peanut agglutinin (Gal beta1-->3GalNAc ligand), and anti-GM(1) antibodies. After the assay was validated, 12 of 59 (20%) C. jejuni serostrains, including four serotypes that have not previously been associated with GBS, reacted with two or more anti-GM(1) ganglioside reagents. Subsequently, LPS extracts from 5 of 7 (71%) C. jejuni isolates and 2 of 3 (67%) C. jejuni culture collection strains bore GM(1) structures. Overall, the assay system was reliable, efficient, and reproducible and may be adapted for large-scale epidemiological studies.
Campylobacter jejuni Chromatography, Thin Layer