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Petit-Pedrol M, Armangue T, Peng X, Bataller L, Cellucci T, Davis R, McCracken L, Martinez-Hernandez E, Mason WP, Kruer MC, Ritacco DG, Grisold W, Meaney BF, Alcalá C, Sillevis-Smitt P, Titulaer MJ, Balice-Gordon R, Graus F, Dalmau J. Encephalitis with refractory seizures, status epilepticus, and antibodies to the GABAA receptor: a case series, characterisation of the antigen, and analysis of the effects of antibodies. Lancet Neurol 2014; 13:276-86. [PMID: 24462240 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(13)70299-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 375] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidence suggests that seizures and status epilepticus can be immune-mediated. We aimed to describe the clinical features of a new epileptic disorder, and to establish the target antigen and the effects of patients' antibodies on neuronal cultures. METHODS In this observational study, we selected serum and CSF samples for antigen characterisation from 140 patients with encephalitis, seizures or status epilepticus, and antibodies to unknown neuropil antigens. The samples were obtained from worldwide referrals of patients with disorders suspected to be autoimmune between April 28, 2006, and April 25, 2013. We used samples from 75 healthy individuals and 416 patients with a range of neurological diseases as controls. We assessed the samples using immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry, cell-based assay, and analysis of antibody effects in cultured rat hippocampal neurons with confocal microscopy. FINDINGS Neuronal cell-membrane immunoprecipitation with serum of two index patients revealed GABAA receptor sequences. Cell-based assay with HEK293 expressing α1/β3 subunits of the GABAA receptor showed high titre serum antibodies (>1:160) and CSF antibodies in six patients. All six patients (age 3-63 years, median 22 years; five male patients) developed refractory status epilepticus or epilepsia partialis continua along with extensive cortical-subcortical MRI abnormalities; four patients needed pharmacologically induced coma. 12 of 416 control patients with other diseases, but none of the healthy controls, had low-titre GABAA receptor antibodies detectable in only serum samples, five of them also had GAD-65 antibodies. These 12 patients (age 2-74 years, median 26.5 years; seven male patients) developed a broader spectrum of symptoms probably indicative of coexisting autoimmune disorders: six had encephalitis with seizures (one with status epilepticus needing pharmacologically induced coma; one with epilepsia partialis continua), four had stiff-person syndrome (one with seizures and limbic involvement), and two had opsoclonus-myoclonus. Overall, 12 of 15 patients for whom treatment and outcome were assessable had full (three patients) or partial (nine patients) response to immunotherapy or symptomatic treatment, and three died. Patients' antibodies caused a selective reduction of GABAA receptor clusters at synapses, but not along dendrites, without altering NMDA receptors and gephyrin (a protein that anchors the GABAA receptor). INTERPRETATION High titres of serum and CSF GABAA receptor antibodies are associated with a severe form of encephalitis with seizures, refractory status epilepticus, or both. The antibodies cause a selective reduction of synaptic GABAA receptors. The disorder often occurs with GABAergic and other coexisting autoimmune disorders and is potentially treatable. FUNDING The National Institutes of Health, the McKnight Neuroscience of Brain Disorders, the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias, Fundació la Marató de TV3, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (Veni-incentive), the Dutch Epilepsy Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mar Petit-Pedrol
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Thaís Armangue
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Pediatric Neurology, Hospital Materno-Infantil Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xiaoyu Peng
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Luis Bataller
- Service of Neurology, University Hospital Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Tania Cellucci
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rebecca Davis
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lindsey McCracken
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Warren P Mason
- Department of Medicine, Princess Margaret Cancer Center and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Michael C Kruer
- Sanford Children's Health Research Center, Sanford Children's Specialty Clinic, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
| | - David G Ritacco
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, USA
| | - Wolfgang Grisold
- Service of Neurology, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Neurooncology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Brandon F Meaney
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carmen Alcalá
- Service of Neurology, University Hospital Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | | | | | - Rita Balice-Gordon
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Francesc Graus
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Dalmau
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
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Wong K, Stewart A, Gilder T, Wu N, Frank K, Gaikwad S, Suciu C, Dileo J, Utterback E, Chang K, Grossman L, Cachat J, Kalueff AV. Modeling seizure-related behavioral and endocrine phenotypes in adult zebrafish. Brain Res 2010; 1348:209-15. [PMID: 20547142 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2010] [Revised: 06/04/2010] [Accepted: 06/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) have recently been suggested as a high-throughput experimental model of epilepsy-related pathogenetic states. Here we use adult zebrafish to study behavioral symptoms associated with drug-evoked seizures. Experimental epilepsy-like states were evoked in zebrafish by exposure for 20min to three chemoconvulsant drugs: caffeine (250mg/L; 1.3mM), pentylenetetrazole (1.5g/L; 11.0mM) and picrotoxin (100mg/L; 0.17mM). Fish behavior was analyzed using manual and video-tracking methods (Noldus Ethovision XT7). Compared to their respective controls, all three drug-treated groups showed robust seizure-like responses (hyperactivity bouts, spasms, circular and corkscrew swimming) accompanied by elevated whole-body cortisol levels (assessed by ELISA). In contrast, control fish did not display seizure-like behaviors and had significantly lower cortisol levels. Paralleling behavioral and endocrine phenotypes observed in clinical and rodent studies, our data implicates adult zebrafish as an emerging experimental model for epilepsy research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith Wong
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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Sierra-Paredes G, Sierra-Marcuño G. Ascomycin and FK506: pharmacology and therapeutic potential as anticonvulsants and neuroprotectants. CNS Neurosci Ther 2008; 14:36-46. [PMID: 18482098 PMCID: PMC6494028 DOI: 10.1111/j.1527-3458.2008.00036.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Ascomycin and FK506 are powerful calcium-dependent serine/threonine protein phosphatase (calcineurin [CaN], protein phosphatase 2B) inhibitors. Their mechanism of action involves the formation of a molecular complex with the intracellular FK506-binding protein-12 (FKBP12), thereby acquiring the ability to interact with CaN and to interfere with the dephosphorylation of various substrates. Pharmacological studies of ascomycin, FK506, and derivatives have mainly been focused on their action as immunosuppressants and therapeutic use in inflammatory skin diseases, both in animal studies and in humans. CaN inhibitors have been also proposed for the treatment of inflammatory and degenerative brain diseases. Preclinical studies suggest, however, that ascomycin and its derivatives exhibit additional pharmacological activities. Ascomycin has been shown to have anticonvulsant activity when perfused into the rat hippocampus via microdialysis probes, and ascomycin derivatives may be useful in preventing ischemic brain damage and neuronal death. Their pharmacological action in the brain may involve CaN-mediated regulation of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate receptor channels, neuronal cytoskeleton and dendritic spine morphology, as well as of the inflammatory responses in glial cells. FK506 and ascomycin inhibit signaling pathways in astrocytes and change the pattern of cytokine and neurotrophin gene expression. However, brain-specific mechanisms of action other than CaN inhibition cannot be excluded. CaN is a likely potential target molecule in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, so that the therapeutic potential of ascomycin, FK506, and nonimmunosuppressant ascomycin derivatives as CNS drugs should be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán Sierra-Paredes
- Neuroscience Division, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Santiago, San Francisco 1, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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