Posterior Reversible Leucoencephalopathy Syndrome: Case Series, Comments, and Diagnostic Dilemma

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To report a series of patients with clinical and radiological features suggestive of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) related to diverse etiologies emphasizing its pathophysiological basis.

RECENT FINDINGS

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) may present with a broad range of clinical symptoms from headache and visual disturbances to seizure and altered mentation. Typical imaging findings include posterior-circulation predominant vasogenic edema. Although there are many well-documented diseases associated with PRES, the exact pathophysiologic mechanism has yet to be fully elucidated. Generally accepted theories revolve around disruption of the blood-brain barrier secondary to elevated intracranial pressures or endothelial injury induced by ischemia from a vasoconstrictive response to rising blood pressure or toxins/cytokines. While clinical and radiographic reversibility is common, long-standing morbidity and mortality can occur in severe forms. In patients with malignant forms of PRES, aggressive care has markedly reduced mortality and improved functional outcomes. Various factors that have been associated with poor outcome include altered sensorium, hypertensive etiology, hyperglycemia, longer time to control the causative factor, elevated C reactive protein, coagulopathy, extensive cerebral edema, and hemorrhage on imaging. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes (RCVS) and primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) are invariably considered in the differential diagnosis of new cerebral arteriopathies. Recurrent thunderclap headache (TCH), and single TCH combined with either normal neuroimaging, border zone infarcts, or vasogenic edema, have 100% positive predictive value for diagnosing RCVS or RCVS-spectrum disorders. Diagnosis of PRES in some circumstances can be challenging and structural imaging may not be sufficient to distinguish it from other differential diagnostic considerations like ADEM. Advanced imaging techniques, such as MR spectroscopy or positron emission tomography (PET) can provide additional information to determine the diagnosis. Such techniques are more useful to understand the underlying vasculopathic changes in PRES and may answer some of the unresolved controversies in pathophysiology of this complex disease. Eight patients with PRES resulting from different etiologies varying from pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, post-partum headache with seizures, neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus, snake bite, Dengue fever with encephalopathy, alcoholic liver cirrhosis with hepatic encephalopathy, and lastly reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS). Additionally, a diagnostic dilemma between PRES and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) was notable in one patient. Some of these patients did not have or only very transiently had arterial hypertension. PRES may underlie the clinical conundrum of headache, confusion, altered sensorium, seizures, and visual impairment. PRES need not necessarily be always associated with high blood pressure. Imaging findings may also be variable. Both clinicians and radiologists need to familiarize themselves with such variabilities.

Comparative proteomics analysis of plasma protein in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate serum biomarkers of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) patients, with and without neuropsychiatric (NP) manifestation by high-resolution proteomic analysis.

Methods

SLE patients with NP (NPSLE, n=9), SLE patients without NP (non-NPSLE, n=9) and healthy controls (HC, n=9) were prospectively enrolled in this study, and their plasma samples were collected and pooled into 3 NPSLE, 3 non-NPSLE and 3 HC samples for discovery profile. The TMT-LC-MS/MS-based proteomics approach was used to identify the differential proteome among the three matched groups, and the data were analyzed by bioinformatics tools, including Gene Ontology (GO) categories, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, to explore canonical pathways and networks involved in the pathogenesis of NPSLE. To validation of differentially expressed proteomics results, four proteins were measured by ELISA.

Results

There were altogether 223 differentially expressed proteins in NPSLE groups compared with healthy controls (HC), of which 96 proteins increased while 127 proteins decreased. Compared with non-NPSLE, there were only 49 differentially expressed proteins in NPSLE groups, of which 37 proteins increased while 12 proteins decreased. The significantly changed pathway that those proteins are involved in was complement and coagulation cascades in NPSLE group compared with health controls. However, we didn't find significantly changed pathway between NPSLE group and non-NPSLE group. Five proteins were found significantly changed in all group-comparisons with consistent tendencies using Venn analysis, including Vitamin D binding protein (VDBP), C-reactive protein (CRP), KRT16, IGHV4-4 and CTRP3. Four proteins including CTRP3, VDBP, PAPPA and TRYP2 were selected to estimate the validity of the proteomics approach by ELISA. The expression levels of CTRP3 and TRYP2 were significantly changed in NPSLE patients compared with either HC or non-NPSLE patients.

Conclusions

Our research has successfully established serum protein profiles of NPSLE and non-NPSLE patients through TMT technology and screened out five proteins significantly changed in group-comparisons with consistent tendencies. The pathway of complement and coagulation cascades may participate in pathogenesis of NPSLE and non-NPSLE.

The MRZ reaction helps to distinguish rheumatologic disorders with central nervous involvement from multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Some rheumatologic disorders may initially manifest with central nervous system (CNS) affection, mimicking the clinical, magnetic resonance imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid findings of multiple sclerosis (MS). The MRZ reaction (MRZR), composed of the three respective antibody indices (AIs) against measles, rubella, and varicella zoster virus, has been found positive frequently in MS patients. However, it is unclear whether the MRZR is helpful to distinguish rheumatologic disorders with CNS involvement (RDwCNS) from MS.

METHODS

The MRZR was evaluated in patients with RDwCNS (n = 23), MS (n = 46; age and sex matched to patients with RDwCNS), and other inflammatory autoimmune neurological diseases affecting the CNS (OIND; n = 48). Both the stringency levels that have been used in previous MRZR studies, MRZR-1 (≥ 1 of 3 AIs positive) and MRZR-2 (≥ 2 of 3 AIs positive), were applied.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of positive MRZR between patients with RDwCNS (MRZR-1: 13.0% and MRZR-2: 8.7%, respectively) and OIND (MRZR-1: 22.9% and MRZR-2: 8.3%, respectively). Compared to these two study cohorts, the MS group exhibited significantly higher prevalences of positive MRZR (MRZR-1: 82.6%, MRZR-2: 63.0%; p < 0.005 each).

CONCLUSIONS

Considering the high specificity of MRZR-2 for MS found in this study, MRZR-2 can be a useful diagnostic tool for distinguishing MS from RDwCNS or OIND.

A Comprehensive Rehabilitation Approach in a Patient With Serious Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) involves the central and peripheral nervous system in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is essential to specify the problems faced by patients with NPSLE because it causes diverse disabilities and impairs quality of life. After performing a comprehensive evaluation, tailored management should be provided for the patient's specific problems. We report here the case of a 30-year-old female with SLE who experienced serious neuropsychiatric symptoms cerebral infarction followed by posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and peripheral polyneuropathy. We systemically assessed the patient using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health model as a clinical problem-solving tool and provided comprehensive rehabilitation by focusing on her problems.

A meta-analysis of serum and cerebrospinal fluid autoantibodies in neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus

Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) is one of the most devastating presentations of SLE and comprises of psychiatric, central and peripheral neurological signs and symptoms. Previous studies suggest the possible associations between various autoantibodies (Abs) and NPSLE. The magnitudes of such association varied between studies. We performed a meta-analysis to pool data on serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels and positivity of Abs in blood and cerebrospinal fluid in patients with NPSLE and SLE. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies that fulfilled inclusion criteria. A random-effects model was used to calculate overall combined odd ratio (OR) and mean levels with its corresponding 95% confidence interval to evaluate the relationship between individual Abs and NPSLE patients relative to SLE patients. Forty-one studies met the inclusion criteria and were used in this analysis. There was a significantly greater proportion of NPSLE patients who demonstrated positivity for serum anti-cardiolipin (aCL) Abs (OR=1.63, p=0.016), lupus anticoagulants (LA) Abs (OR=1.91 p=0.01), anti-phospholipid (APL) Abs (OR=2.08, p=0.001), anti-ribosomal P Abs (OR=2.29, p<0.001), anti-neuronal Abs (OR=9.50, p<0.001) as compared to SLE patients. In NPSLE patients, there was a significant increased prevalence of positive titres for CSF anti-neuronal Abs (OR=36.84, p=0.001) as compared to SLE patients. Among the 19 neuropsychiatric syndromes, the positivity of these serum autoantibodies were found specifically significantly associated with the manifestations of mood disorder, psychosis, cerebrovascular disease, seizure disorders, acute confusional state, cognitive dysfunction, headache, movement disorder, demyelinating syndrome and polyneuropathy, with ORs ranging from 1.84 to 4.73. Meta-regression identified proportion of women as significant moderator for the heterogeneity of aCL (p=0.004) and anti-neuronal Abs (p=0.0007); mean age for the heterogeneity of aCL (p=0.042) and LA (p=0.020) Abs, mean duration of illness for the heterogeneity of aCL Abs (p=0.035), and mean SLEDAI scores for the heterogeneity of anti-ribosomal P Abs (p=0.014). NPSLE patients are more likely to have elevated serum levels of aCL, LA, APL, anti-ribosomal P Abs and anti-neuronal Abs compared with SLE patients. Further research is required to evaluate the accuracy of using the above antibodies as an adjunct diagnostic tool in NPSLE.