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Goertzen A, Altawashi AK, Rieck J, Veh RW. Autoimmune processes in neurological patients are much more common than presently suspected. J Neurol 2023; 270:5866-5877. [PMID: 37603074 PMCID: PMC10632246 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11901-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Autoimmune encephalitides are seldom diseases. How rare they actually are, however, is not known. The low incidence combined with the problematic identification may dampen efforts of neurologists, to identify patients with unclear symptoms as suffering from autoimmune encephalitis. Here, we aim to obtain a better estimate, how many patients with autoimmune disorders should be expected among 100 inpatients in a conventional neurological department. From a total number of 2603 non-stroke patients attended in a 2-year period (2018-2019) 460 CSFs were obtained. From this collection 187 samples (40.7%, > 500 sections) could be analyzed with our immunocytochemical technique. Autoreactive antibodies were detected in 102 (55%) of these 187 CSF samples. Certainly, the presence of autoreactive antibodies does not necessarily indicate that the patient suffers from an autoimmune disease. Our data indicate that from roughly 2000 patients during 1 year about 125 patients with autoreactive CSF antibodies should be expected in a conventional neurological department. This represents the about 35-fold value of what is generally expected at present. Being aware of this high incidence may intensify the efforts of neurologist to identify patients with any type of autoimmune encephalitis. This will be beneficial for patients, because they often profit from immunomodulatory therapy. Interestingly, some CFSs from our patients react with the CA2 subdivision of the hippocampus. While long neglected, recent research places this area into an important position to influence hippocampal network physiology. Autoreactive antibodies in the CSF may disturb the function of CA2 neurons, thereby explaining some neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with autoimmune encephalitides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Goertzen
- AMEOS Klinikum St. Clemens Oberhausen, Wilhelmstrasse 34, D-46145, Oberhausen, Germany
| | | | - Julian Rieck
- Institut für Zell- und Neurobiologie, Centrum 2, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rüdiger W Veh
- Institut für Zell- und Neurobiologie, Centrum 2, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117, Berlin, Germany.
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Küpper M, Porath K, Sellmann T, Bien CG, Köhling R, Kirschstein T. GluN2B inhibition rescues impaired potentiation and epileptogenicity at associational-commissural CA3 synapses in a model of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Neurosci Lett 2023; 795:137031. [PMID: 36574811 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.137031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is an autoimmune epilepsy associated with memory deficits. Research has demonstrated that anti-NMDAR inhibit long-term potentiation, and, at the same time, lead to disinhibition in the form of epileptiform afterpotentials in the potentiated state. While both effects may give rise to the key symptoms of the disease, the molecular basis of being simultaneously inhibitory and disinhibitory is difficult to explain. Here, we explored a possible involvement of the GluN2B subunit. To this aim, we injected cerebrospinal fluid from anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients into the rat hippocampus and prepared brain slices for in vitro field potential recordings. Associational-commissural-fiber-CA3 synapses from anti-NMDAR-treated animals showed increased field potential amplitudes with concomitantly enhanced paired-pulse ratios as compared to control tissue. GluN2B inhibition by Ro25-6981 mimicked these effects in controls but had no effect in anti-NMDAR tissues indicating a presynaptic and occluding effect of anti-NMDAR. We then induced potentiation of associational-commissural-fiber-CA3 synapses, and confirmed that slices from anti-NMDAR-treated animals showed reduced potentiation and pronounced epileptiform afterpotentials. Intriguingly, both effects were absent when Ro25-6981 was added in vitro before inducing potentiation. These results indicate that GluN2B-containing NMDARs, partially expressed presynaptically, show differential sensitivity to anti-NMDAR, and that altered GluN2B function is particularly apparent in the potentiated state rather than under baseline conditions. Since GluN2B inhibition rescued the effects of anti-NMDAR in the potentiated state, this opens the possibility that at least a subgroup of patients could benefit from a GluN2B antagonist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maraike Küpper
- Oscar Langendorff Institute of Physiology, University of Rostock, Germany
| | - Katrin Porath
- Oscar Langendorff Institute of Physiology, University of Rostock, Germany
| | - Tina Sellmann
- Oscar Langendorff Institute of Physiology, University of Rostock, Germany
| | - Christian G Bien
- Department of Epileptology (Krankenhaus Mara), Bielefeld University, Medical School, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Köhling
- Oscar Langendorff Institute of Physiology, University of Rostock, Germany; Center of Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University of Rostock, Germany
| | - Timo Kirschstein
- Oscar Langendorff Institute of Physiology, University of Rostock, Germany; Center of Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University of Rostock, Germany.
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Li LY, Kreye J, Burek M, Cordero-Gomez C, Barthel PC, Sánchez-Sendín E, Kornau HC, Schmitz D, Scharf M, Meybohm P, Reincke SM, Prüss H, Höltje M. Brain blood vessel autoantibodies in patients with NMDA and GABA A receptor encephalitis: identification of unconventional Myosin-X as target antigen. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1077204. [PMID: 36794262 PMCID: PMC9922905 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1077204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The antibody repertoire from CSF-derived antibody-secreting cells and memory B-cells in patients with encephalitis contains a considerable number of antibodies that do not target the disease-defining autoantigen such as the GABA or NMDA receptors. This study focuses on the functional relevance of autoantibodies to brain blood vessels in patients with GABAA and NMDA receptor encephalitis. Methods: We tested 149 human monoclonal IgG antibodies from the cerebrospinal fluid of six patients with different forms of autoimmune encephalitis on murine brain sections for reactivity to blood vessels using immunohistochemistry. Positive candidates were tested for reactivity with purified brain blood vessels, effects on transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER), and expression of tight junction proteins as well as gene regulation using human brain microvascular endothelial hCMEC/D3 cells as in vitro blood-brain barrier model. One blood-vessel reactive antibody was infused intrathecally by pump injection in mice to study in vivo binding and effects on tight junction proteins such as Occludin. Target protein identification was addressed using transfected HEK293 cells. Results: Six antibodies reacted with brain blood vessels, three were from the same patient with GABAAR encephalitis, and the other three were from different patients with NMDAR encephalitis. One antibody from an NMDAR encephalitis patient, mAb 011-138, also reacted with cerebellar Purkinje cells. In this case, treatment of hCMEC/D3 cells resulted in decreased TEER, reduced Occludin expression, and mRNA levels. Functional relevance in vivo was confirmed as Occludin downregulation was observed in mAb 011-138-infused animals. Unconventional Myosin-X was identified as a novel autoimmune target for this antibody. Discussion: We conclude that autoantibodies to blood vessels occur in autoimmune encephalitis patients and might contribute to a disruption of the blood-brain barrier thereby suggesting a potential pathophysiological relevance of these antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Y. Li
- Institute of Integrative Neuroanatomy Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jakob Kreye
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany,Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Malgorzata Burek
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care, Emergency and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - César Cordero-Gomez
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paula C. Barthel
- Institute of Integrative Neuroanatomy Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elisa Sánchez-Sendín
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans-Christian Kornau
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Neuroscience Research Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dietmar Schmitz
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Neuroscience Research Center, Berlin, Germany,Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany,Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Madeleine Scharf
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, EUROIMMUN AG, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Patrick Meybohm
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care, Emergency and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - S. Momsen Reincke
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Harald Prüss
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus Höltje
- Institute of Integrative Neuroanatomy Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany,*Correspondence: Markus Höltje
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Hunter D, Jamet Z, Groc L. Autoimmunity and NMDA receptor in brain disorders: Where do we stand? Neurobiol Dis 2020; 147:105161. [PMID: 33166697 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decades, the identification of autoimmune encephalitis in which patients express autoantibodies directed against neurotransmitter receptors has generated great hope to shed new light on the molecular mechanisms underpinning neurological and psychiatric conditions. Among these autoimmune encephalitides, the discovery of autoantibodies directed against the glutamatergic NMDA receptor (NMDAR-Ab), in the anti-NMDAR encephalitis, has provided some key information on how complex neuropsychiatric symptoms can be caused by a deficit in NMDAR signalling. Yet, NMDAR-Abs have also been detected in several neurological and psychiatric conditions, as well as in healthy individuals. In addition, these various NMDAR-Abs appear to have different molecular properties and pathogenicities onto receptors and synaptic functions. Here, we discuss the current view on the variety of NMDAR-Abs and, in particular, how these autoantibodies can lead to receptor dysfunction in neuronal networks. Since our mechanistic understanding on patients' NMDAR-Abs is still in its infancy, several complementary processes can be proposed and further in-depth molecular and cellular investigations will surely reveal key insights. Autoantibodies represent a great opportunity to gain knowledge on the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders and pave the way for innovative therapeutic strategies. ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: Current view on patients' autoantibody against NMDAR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hunter
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Zoe Jamet
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Laurent Groc
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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