Longitudinal proteomics defines stage-specific molecular signatures in Guillain-Barré syndrome

Guillain-Barré syndrome is an acute immune-mediated polyradiculoneuropathy with heterogeneous outcomes and limited molecular biomarkers for diagnosis, disease monitoring, and prognosis. To elucidate the circulating proteomic profile of this disorder and identify candidate biomarkers associated with disease activity and recovery, we measured over 6,500 proteins using an aptamer-based proteomic platform. We analysed paired, longitudinal sera from 20 patients at disease onset and one-year follow-up, alongside 15 healthy controls. Unbiased differential protein abundance and gene-set enrichment analyses were performed. Candidate proteins were validated using conventional immunoassays in a cohort including healthy and disease controls.

We identified 39 differentially abundant proteins between the acute and recovery phases and 248 proteins altered in acute Guillain-Barré syndrome compared to controls. The acute phase was characterised by a marked enrichment in systemic immune cascades and muscle sarcomere proteins, alongside a significant depletion of axonal adhesion molecules. Serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) emerged as the most strongly increased protein in the acute phase. Validation through independent immunoassays confirmed robust serum amyloid A elevations at disease onset relative to the one-year recovery phase, healthy controls, and relevant post-infectious and neuromuscular disease controls (acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and myasthenia gravis), underscoring a peripheral nerve-specific inflammatory response. Furthermore, unexpected elevations of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) were observed at disease onset. Clinical validation using high-sensitivity assays demonstrated that cTnT exceeded the diagnostic 99 ^th percentile upper reference limit in 25.5% of acute Guillain-Barré syndrome patients. A similarly high frequency of elevation in the myasthenia gravis disease control group (42.1%) suggests these increases predominantly reflect neuromuscular damage rather than myocardial injury. Finally, Mendelian randomisation provided causal genetic evidence linking specific systemic proteins to disease susceptibility, identifying robust roles for SERPING1 (plasma protease C1 inhibitor), CNDP1 (an antioxidant protein), and CRISPLD2 (a lipopolysaccharide-binding protein that regulates endotoxin function).

Together, this comprehensive proteomic characterisation reveals distinct, stage-specific molecular signatures in Guillain-Barré syndrome. Importantly, it suggests SAA1 as a robust marker of acute peripheral nerve inflammation and challenges the conventional interpretation of elevated cTnT in severe neuropathies and neuromuscular disorders. Furthermore, this work provides a novel dataset to explore future targeted therapeutic development in Guillain-Barré syndrome.