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NMR spectroscopy and methylation linkage analysis reveal the presence of the O antigenic polysaccharide found in Campylobacter jejuni and bacterial isolates found in patients who later develop the Guillain-Barre syndrome. The glycan is a hyaluronic acid derivative with beta-D-glucuronic acid residues present as amides of 2-amino-2-deoxyglycerol. A similar structure is seen in Shigella boydii type 8 and Vibrio cholerae strain H11.

The lipopolysaccharide of Campylobacter jejuni has a central region that is homologous to gangliosides due to the presence of two oligosaccharide chains. The first chain has a single N-acetylneuraminic acid residue similar to GM and the second chain has a terminal region resembling GD. Lipopolysaccharide of bacterial isolates from patients with the Guillain-Barre syndrome possess significantly shorter oligosaccharide regions.