An observational study in Guillain Barré Syndrome, sponsored by Anahuac University. Recruiting at 2 sites in 2 countries. Open to participants aged 16 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-13.
Sponsored by Anahuac University · Observational
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Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute immune-mediated peripheral neuropathy characterized by substantial variability in clinical severity, functional recovery, and pain outcomes. The lack of validated and accessible prognostic biomarkers limits early risk stratification and individualized rehabilitation strategies.
This observational, longitudinal, retrospective and prospective study aims to evaluate a panel of five blood biomarkers (EGR1, EGR2, GBP1, miR-29c, and Piccolo) and determine their association with functional recovery, pain trajectories, and neurophysiological characteristics in patients with GBS.
The study will include at least 70 patients with GBS and 70 healthy controls. Patients will undergo longitudinal clinical and molecular assessments across different disease stages, whereas healthy controls will provide a single blood sample for reference measurements. Gene and microRNA expression will be quantified using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and serum Piccolo concentrations will be assessed using ELISA or validated immunoassays.
Clinical assessments will include the GBS Disability Scale, Medical Research Council (MRC) Sum Score, Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and validated pain questionnaires. Molecular and clinical data will be integrated using multivariable statistical analyses to identify prognostic molecular signatures and develop predictive models.
The project also aims to support external validation in Mexican populations through international collaboration with Spanish research institutions.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute immune-mediated polyradiculoneuropathy affecting the peripheral nervous system. It is characterized by heterogeneous clinical presentations, including progressive weakness, sensory disturbances, pain, autonomic dysfunction, and, in severe cases, respiratory failure. Although immunomodulatory treatments and multidisciplinary rehabilitation have improved clinical outcomes, predicting individual recovery trajectories remains challenging.
Current prognostic assessment relies primarily on clinical and electrophysiological parameters, which may not adequately capture the molecular mechanisms underlying immune activation, peripheral nerve injury, remyelination, and functional recovery.
Previous investigations conducted by the research group identified differential expression of EGR1, EGR2, GBP1, and miR-29c in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from patients with GBS. Differential serum concentrations of the presynaptic protein Piccolo were also identified, suggesting their potential relevance as molecular indicators of disease progression and recovery.
The BioGBS study aims to validate these five candidate biomarkers through longitudinal analysis and integration with clinical, functional, pain-related, and neurophysiological data.
The study will employ an observational, retrospective and prospective longitudinal design, including at least 70 patients diagnosed with GBS and 70 healthy controls. Patients will be assessed at four clinically defined stages: initial diagnosis before immunomodulatory treatment (T0), maximum clinical severity or nadir (T1), onset of sustained functional recovery (T2), and advanced recovery or discharge from rehabilitation (T3). Healthy controls will undergo a single baseline molecular assessment.
Gene expression levels of EGR1, EGR2, GBP1, and miR-29c will be quantified in PBMCs using qRT-PCR. Serum Piccolo concentrations will be determined using ELISA or validated immunoassays.
Functional outcomes will be assessed using the GBS Disability Scale, MRC Sum Score, and FIM. Pain severity and interference will be evaluated using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), while neuropathic pain will be assessed using the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI). Electrophysiological findings will be incorporated when available.
Statistical analyses will include longitudinal mixed-effects models, multivariable regression, principal component analysis, unsupervised clustering, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Predictive models will be developed to identify molecular signatures associated with favorable or unfavorable functional recovery and persistent pain. Internal cross-validation and correction for multiple comparisons will be performed when appropriate.
The study will integrate the existing Spanish TOSGB biological collection and collaborative research activities in Mexico. External validation in Mexican patients is planned to evaluate the transferability of the prognostic biomarkers across different populations and healthcare settings.
No experimental treatment will be assigned. All participants with GBS will receive standard medical care and rehabilitation according to routine clinical practice.
98 studies on the registry are indexed under Guillain-Barre Syndrome; 30 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 140 is above the median of 101 across 48 observational studies indexed under Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Browse Guillain-Barre Syndrome studies →Anahuac University is the lead sponsor of 11 studies on the registry; 5 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
The study population will consist of patients aged 16 years or older with clinically and neurophysiologically confirmed Guillain-Barré syndrome, recruited from participating hospitals in Spain and Mexico. A comparison group of healthy volunteers aged 18 years or older, with a comparable age and sex distribution, will be included to establish reference biomarker measurements. Patients will undergo longitudinal follow-up, whereas healthy controls will undergo a single baseline assessment.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Autoimmune disease
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Immunosuppression
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Patients with clinically and neurophysiologically confirmed GBS undergoing longitudinal molecular, functional, pain-related, and neurophysiological assessments across different stages of the disease.
Diagnostic Test: Blood Biomarker Panel Assessment (EGR1, EGR2, GBP1, miR-29c, and Piccolo)
Healthy individuals without neurological or autoimmune disorders, selected to provide reference measurements for the candidate blood biomarkers. Controls will undergo a single baseline blood sample collection.
Diagnostic Test: Blood Biomarker Panel Assessment (EGR1, EGR2, GBP1, miR-29c, and Piccolo)
Peripheral blood samples will be collected from patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome and healthy controls to evaluate a panel of molecular biomarkers. Expression levels of EGR1, EGR2, GBP1, and miR-29c will be quantified in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Serum Piccolo concentrations will be measured using ELISA or validated immunoassays. Patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome will undergo longitudinal assessments at predefined clinical stages, whereas healthy controls will undergo a single baseline assessment. No experimental treatment will be administered, and routine clinical management will remain unchanged.
Change in Guillain-Barré Syndrome Disability Score
Change in functional disability measured using the GBS Disability Scale, ranging from 0 (normal health) to 6 (death). Higher scores indicate greater disability. Longitudinal changes will be assessed in relation to blood biomarker expression. 0 (Baseline): Day 1, before initiation of immunotherapy. T1 (Nadir or prolonged plateau): Up to 6 months after baseline. T2 (Onset of clinical recovery): Up to 12 months after baseline. T3 (Advanced recovery or neurorehabilitation discharge): Up to 12 months after baseline. All assessment intervals are calculated from T0 (baseline). Clinical stages are determined according to the patient's disease progression and recovery status.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1), up to 6 months, and up to 12 months after baseline
Change in Muscle Strength Assessed by the MRC Sum Score
Change in muscle strength assessed using the Medical Research Council Sum Score, ranging from 0 to 60. Higher scores indicate better muscle strength. Longitudinal changes will be evaluated in association with molecular biomarker profiles. T0 (Baseline): Day 1, before initiation of immunotherapy. T1 (Nadir or prolonged plateau): Up to 6 months after baseline. T2 (Onset of clinical recovery): Up to 12 months after baseline. T3 (Advanced recovery or neurorehabilitation discharge): Up to 12 months after baseline.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1), up to 6 months, and up to 12 months after baseline.
Change in Functional Independence Measure Score
Functional independence measured using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), ranging from 18 to 126. Higher scores indicate greater independence in activities of daily living. T0 (Baseline): Day 1, before initiation of immunotherapy. T1 (Nadir or prolonged plateau): Up to 6 months after baseline. T2 (Onset of clinical recovery): Up to 12 months after baseline. T3 (Advanced recovery or neurorehabilitation discharge): Up to 12 months after baseline.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1), up to 6 months, and up to 12 months after baseline.
Change in Pain Intensity Assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory
Change in pain intensity measured using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), on a scale from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity. T0 (Baseline): Day 1, before initiation of immunotherapy. T1 (Nadir or prolonged plateau): Up to 6 months after baseline. T2 (Onset of clinical recovery): Up to 12 months after baseline. T3 (Advanced recovery or neurorehabilitation discharge): Up to 12 months after baseline.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1), up to 6 months, and up to 12 months after baseline.
Change in Pain Interference Assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory
Change in the interference of pain with daily activities, measured using the BPI-SF on a scale from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater interference. T0 (Baseline): Day 1, before initiation of immunotherapy. T1 (Nadir or prolonged plateau): Up to 6 months after baseline. T2 (Onset of clinical recovery): Up to 12 months after baseline. T3 (Advanced recovery or neurorehabilitation discharge): Up to 12 months after baseline.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1), up to 6 months, and up to 12 months after baseline.
Change in Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory Score
Change in neuropathic pain symptoms assessed using the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI), with a total score ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater neuropathic pain severity. T0 (Baseline): Day 1, before initiation of immunotherapy. T1 (Nadir or prolonged plateau): Up to 6 months after baseline. T2 (Onset of clinical recovery): Up to 12 months after baseline. T3 (Advanced recovery or neurorehabilitation discharge): Up to 12 months after baseline.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1), up to 6 months, and up to 12 months after baseline.
Longitudinal Change in EGR1, EGR2, GBP1, and miR-29c Expression
Relative expression of EGR1, EGR2, GBP1, and miR-29c in PBMCs measured using qRT-PCR and expressed as 2\^-ΔCt or 2\^-ΔΔCt. Associations with clinical recovery trajectories will be analyzed. T0 (Baseline): Day 1, before initiation of immunotherapy. T1 (Nadir or prolonged plateau): Up to 6 months after baseline. T2 (Onset of clinical recovery): Up to 12 months after baseline. T3 (Advanced recovery or neurorehabilitation discharge): Up to 12 months after baseline.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1), up to 6 months, and up to 12 months after baseline.
Longitudinal Change in Serum Piccolo Concentration
Serum Piccolo concentration quantified using ELISA or a validated immunoassay and expressed in pg/mL or ng/mL, depending on assay specifications. T0 (Baseline): Day 1, before initiation of immunotherapy. T1 (Nadir or prolonged plateau): Up to 6 months after baseline. T2 (Onset of clinical recovery): Up to 12 months after baseline. T3 (Advanced recovery or neurorehabilitation discharge): Up to 12 months after baseline.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1), up to 6 months, and up to 12 months after baseline.
Prognostic Performance of the Combined Blood Biomarker Panel
Discriminative performance of a combined panel comprising EGR1, EGR2, GBP1, miR-29c, and Piccolo for identifying unfavorable functional recovery, evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). T0 (Baseline): Day 1, before initiation of immunotherapy. T1 (Nadir or prolonged plateau): Up to 6 months after baseline. T2 (Onset of clinical recovery): Up to 12 months after baseline. T3 (Advanced recovery or neurorehabilitation discharge): Up to 12 months after baseline.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1), up to 6 months, and up to 12 months after baseline.
Requirement for Mechanical Ventilation
Proportion of patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation during the acute phase of GBS and duration of ventilatory support when applicable.
Time frame: From baseline (Day 1) through 12 months after baseline.
Start is estimated for Dec 2027; primary completion for Dec 2027, 0 months later.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Anahuac University