PMID: 18210815Jan 24, 2008Paper

Autoantibodies against glutamate receptors in patients with encephalitis

Rinshō shinkeigaku = Clinical neurology
Yukitoshi TakahashiTateki Fujiwara

Abstract

We examined autoantibodies against GluRepsilon2 in patients with acute encephalitis, who were categorized into localized encephalitis and widespread encephalitis. Patients with localized encephalitis are defined as patients showing psychic symptoms (illusions, anxiety and distraction etc.), solitary seizures and/or very mild impairment of consciousness in the initial stage. Patients with widespread encephalitis are defined as patients showing a profound loss of consciousness and or convulsive status in the initial stage. In 24 patients with localized encephalitis, immunoglobulin (Ig) M autoantibodies against GluRepsilon2 tended to appear in CSF in the acute stage (0-20 days after onset of neurological symptoms) or recovery stage (21-60 days after onset of neurological symptoms) of encephalitis. In 22 patients with widespread encephalitis, IgM autoantibodies against GluRepsilon2 in CSF tended to appear in the recovery stage (21-60 days after onset of neurological symptoms) or chronic stage (>60 days after onset of neurological symptoms) of encephalitis. All patients with localized encephalitis had autoantibodies to the extracellular N epitope. However, no patients with widespread encephalitis had autoantibodies to the extracellu...Continue Reading

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