GABA(B)R and AMPAR abs are well associated with LE. GABA(B)R abs lead to severe clinical, neuroradiological and EEG abnormalities with poorer outcome.

There is a need for diagnostic biomarkers of epilepsy and status epilepticus to support clinical examination, electroencephalography and neuroimaging. Extracellular microRNAs may be potentially ideal biomarkers since some are expressed uniquely within specific brain regions and cell types. Cerebrospinal fluid offers a source of microRNA biomarkers with the advantage of being in close contact with the target tissue and sites of pathology. Here we profiled microRNA levels in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with temporal lobe epilepsy or status epilepticus, and compared findings to matched controls. Differential expression of 20 microRNAs was detected between patient groups and controls. A validation phase included an expanded cohort and samples from patients with other neurological diseases. This identified lower levels of miR-19b in temporal lobe epilepsy compared to controls, status epilepticus and other neurological diseases. Levels of miR-451a were higher in status epilepticus compared to other groups whereas miR-21-5p differed in status epilepticus compared to temporal lobe epilepsy but not to other neurological diseases. Targets of these microRNAs include proteins regulating neuronal death, tissue remodelling, gliosis and inflammation. The present study indicates cerebrospinal fluid contains microRNAs that can support differential diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy and status epilepticus from other neurological and non-neurological diseases.

Only higher CASPR2 serum antibody titres indicate anti-CASPR2 encephalitis, and diagnostic accuracy increases if MRI findings are considered. Anti-CASPR2 encephalitis has characteristic features and a favourable outcome with immunotherapy.

Objective:It was hypothesized that in encephalitides with autoantibodies directed to CNS surface antigens an antibody-removing intervention might speed up recovery.Methods:The outcome of autoimmune encephalitis in 19 patients with antibodies against surface antigens (leucine-rich, glioma inactivated 1 [LGI1], n = 3; contactin-associated protein-2 [CASPR2], n = 4; NMDA receptor [NMDAR], n = 7) and intracellular antigens (glutamic acid decarboxylase [GAD], n = 5) after immunoadsorption in addition to corticosteroid therapy was evaluated retrospectively. Modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores and data on seizures, memory, and antibody titers directly after immunoadsorption (early follow-up) and after a median of 4 months (late follow-up) were compiled.Results:Immediately after immunoadsorption, 9 of 14 patients with antibodies against LGI1, CASPR2, or NMDAR (64%), but none with GAD antibodies, had improved by at least one mRS point. Five of the 7 patients with LGI1 or CASRP2 antibodies had become seizure-free, and 2 patients with NMDAR antibodies had a memory improvement of more than 1 SD of a normal control population. At late follow-up, 12 of 14 patients with surface antibodies had improved (86%), and none of the patients with GAD antibodies.Conclusions:It is suggested that addition of immunoadsorption to immunosuppression therapy in patients with surface antibodies may accelerate recovery. This supports the pathogenic role of surface antibodies.Classification of evidence:This study provides Class IV evidence that immunoadsorption combined with immunosuppression therapy is effective in patients with autoimmune encephalitis with surface antibodies.