Open AccessDiagnostic and Pathogenic Significance of Glutamate Receptor Autoantibodies
Author(s) -
David Pleasure
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
archives of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1538-3687
pISSN - 0003-9942
DOI - 10.1001/archneur.65.5.589
Subject(s) - autoantibody , medicine , glutamate receptor , encephalopathy , autoimmune encephalitis , encephalitis , biomarker , pathology , immunology , receptor , antibody , biology , virus , biochemistry
Autoantibodies against glutamate receptors, first reported in Rasmussen encephalitis, have been observed in other focal epilepsies, central nervous system ischemic infarcts, transient ischemic attacks, sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy, systemic lupus erythematosus, and paraneoplastic encephalopathies. The detection of glutamate receptor autoantibodies is not useful in the evaluation of Rasmussen encephalitis but may be a biomarker for brain ischemia, and it is helpful in diagnosing certain paraneoplastic encephalopathies. Passive transfer of glutamate receptor autoantibodies from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus or paraneoplastic encephalopathy suggests that glutamate receptor autoantibodies can actively contribute to neurologic dysfunction.