Plasma exchange and prednisone in Guillain-Barre syndrome: A controlled randomized trial.
Mendell, J. R.; Kissel, J. T.; Kennedy, M. S.; Sahenk, Z.; Grinvalsky, H. T.; Pittman, G. L.; Kyler, R. S.; Roelofs, R. I.; Whitaker, J. N.; Bertorini, T. E.
[Article] Neurology. 35(11):1551-1555, November 1985.

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Article abstract: A controlled randomized trial of plasma exchange combined with prednisone was compared with supportive care alone in patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). There was no significant improvement in the treated group over the controls. The sample size, albeit small (12 treated and 13 controls), had the power (95% chance) to detect a change of 2 British Medical Research Council grades of strength between the groups. The difference in our results and others that indicated a beneficial effect of plasma exchange may reflect an adverse effect of prednisone on recovery in GBS. Failure to find a benefit of plasma exchange in our patients also raises the possibility that GBS may be a heterogeneous disorder with humoral factors playing a role in some but not all patients.

(C)1985 American Academy of Neurology