Clinical and Prognostic Value of Immunogenetic Characteristics in Anti-LGI1 Encephalitis
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Abstract
Objective Antibodies against leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1-Abs) characterize a limbic encephalitis (LE) strongly associated with HLA-DRB1*07:01, although some patients lack LGI1-Abs in CSF or do not carry this allele. Whether they represent a different subtype of disease or have different prognoses is unclear.
Methods Retrospective analysis of clinical features, IgG isotypes, and outcome according to LGI1-Ab CSF positivity and DRB1*07:01 in a cohort of anti-LGI1 LE patients.
Results Patients with LGI1-Abs detected in both CSF and serum (105/134, 78%) were compared with those who were CSF negative (29/134, 22%). Both groups had similar clinical features and serum levels, but CSF-positive patients had shorter diagnostic delay, more frequently hyponatremia, inflammatory CSF, and abnormal MRI (p < 0.05). Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotyping was performed in 72/134 (54%) patients and 63/72 (88%) carried DRB1*07:01. Noncarriers (9/72, 12%) were younger, more commonly women, and had less frequently psychiatric and frontal symptoms (p < 0.05). No difference in IgG isotypes according to CSF positivity or HLA was found (p > 0.05). HLA and IgG isotypes were not associated with poor outcome (mRS >2 at last follow-up) in univariate analyses; CSF positivity was only identified as a poor outcome predictor in the multivariate analysis including the complete follow-up, whereas age and female sex also remained when just the first year was considered.
Conclusions LE without CSF LGI1-Abs is clinically indistinguishable and likely reflects just a lesser LGI1-Ab production. HLA association is sex and age biased and presents clinical particularities, suggesting subtle differences in the immune response. Long-term outcome depends mostly on demographic characteristics and the intensity of the intrathecal synthesis.
Glossary
- BSA=
- bovine serum albumin;
- CBA=
- cell-based assay;
- DMEM=
- Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium;
- FBDS=
- faciobrachial dystonic seizure;
- HEPES=
- 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid;
- HLA=
- human leukocyte antigen;
- ICU=
- intensive care unit;
- IHF=
- immunohistofluorescence;
- IQR=
- interquartile range;
- IVIG=
- IV immunoglobulin;
- LE=
- limbic encephalitis;
- LGI1-Abs=
- antibodies against leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1;
- mRS=
- modified Rankin Scale;
- NGS=
- normal goat serum;
- OD=
- optic density;
- PBS=
- phosphate-buffered saline
Footnotes
Go to Neurology.org/NN for full disclosures. Funding information is provided at the end of the article.
The Article Processing Charge was funded by Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1.
- Received September 8, 2020.
- Accepted in final form January 4, 2021.
- Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND), which permits downloading and sharing the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.
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