The Clinical Relevance of Anti-glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Antibodies in Children with Encephalitis/encephalopathy

Overview

Journal Front Neurosci

Date 2023 Feb 23

PMID 36817097

Authors

Ju-Yin Hou

Hsin-Uei Liu

Cheng-Yen Kuo

Yi-Hsuan Liu

Jainn-Jim Lin

Meng-Ying Hsieh

Po-Cheng Hung

Yi-Ting Cheng

I-Chen Su

Huei-Shyong Wang

I-Jun Chou

Kuang-Lin Lin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD) antibodies are associated with different types of syndromes. However, few studies have investigated the correlation between anti-GAD antibody titers with clinical severity and outcomes in children with encephalitis/encephalopathy. In this single-center retrospective cohort study, we consecutively enrolled hospitalized children who had encephalitis and/or encephalopathy with positive anti-GAD antibodies in serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from February 2010 to October 2021. Thirty-seven patients were included and divided into high-titer and low-titer groups. The patients with high anti-GAD antibody titers were associated with initial symptoms of language difficulty and ataxia. The level of titers was not associated with severity or outcomes. Anti-GAD antibody titers decreased after immunotherapy, however, the clinical response to immunotherapy was variable. A transient elevation in anti-GAD antibody titers during immunotherapy was noted. Further studies are warranted to investigate the role of anti-GAD antibodies in the pathogenesis and immune mechanisms of encephalitis/encephalopathy.

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