Cited by 3,488Autoimmune Neurological Disorders and TreatmentsPeripheral Neuropathies and DisordersMyasthenia Gravis and Thymoma

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 35 of the 35 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 27 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis: case series and analysis of the effects of antibodies

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Abstract

Summary Background A severe form of encephalitis associated with antibodies against NR1–NR2 heteromers of the NMDA receptor was recently identified. We aimed to analyse the clinical and immunological features of patients with the disorder and examine the effects of antibodies against NMDA receptors in neuronal cultures. Methods We describe the clinical characteristics of 100 patients with encephalitis and NR1–NR2 antibodies. HEK293 cells ectopically expressing single or assembled NR1–NR2 subunits were used to determine the epitope targeted by the antibodies. Antibody titres were measured with ELISA. The effect of antibodies on neuronal cultures was determined by quantitative analysis of NMDA-receptor clusters. Findings Median age of patients was 23 years (range 5–76 years); 91 were women. All patients presented with psychiatric symptoms or memory problems; 76 had seizures, 88 unresponsiveness (decreased conciousness), 86 dyskinesias, 69 autonomic instability, and 66 hypoventilation. 58 (59%) of 98 patients for whom results of oncological assessments were available had tumours, most commonly ovarian teratoma. Patients who received early tumour treatment (usually with immunotherapy) had better outcome (p=0.004) and fewer neurological relapses (p=0.009) than the rest of the patients. 75 patients recovered or had mild deficits and 25 had severe deficits or died. Improvement was associated with a decrease of serum antibody titres. The main epitope targeted by the antibodies is in the extracellular N-terminal domain of the NR1 subunit. Patients’ antibodies decreased the numbers of cell-surface NMDA receptors and NMDA-receptor clusters in postsynaptic dendrites, an effect that could be reversed by antibody removal. Interpretation A well-defined set of clinical characteristics are associated with anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis. The pathogenesis of the disorder seems to be mediated by antibodies.

Overview

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Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This case series characterizes 100 patients with anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis and shows that antibodies target the extracellular N-terminal domain of NR1, reduce cell-surface NMDA receptors and postsynaptic receptor clusters, and that early tumour treatment is associated with better outcome and fewer relapses. The disorder is severe but often reversible, with 75 patients recovering or having mild deficits and 25 having severe deficits or dying.

Key findings

  • Among 100 patients, median age was 23 years (range 5–76) and 91 were women; all presented with psychiatric symptoms or memory problems, 76 had seizures, 88 unresponsiveness, 86 dyskinesias, 69 autonomic instability, and 66 hypoventilation.
  • 58 (59%) of 98 assessed patients had tumours, most commonly ovarian teratoma; early tumour treatment was associated with better outcome (p=0.004) and fewer neurological relapses (p=0.009) than in other patients.
  • 75 patients recovered or had mild deficits and 25 had severe deficits or died; improvement was associated with a decrease in serum antibody titres.
  • Patients’ antibodies mainly targeted the extracellular N-terminal domain of NR1 and decreased cell-surface NMDA receptors and NMDA-receptor clusters in postsynaptic dendrites, an effect reversed by antibody removal.

Methods

  • Observational case series of 100 patients with encephalitis and NR1–NR2 antibodies; clinical information was obtained by authors or referring physicians, with control samples from 20 healthy individuals and 230 patients with suspected autoimmune or paraneoplastic encephalitis or tumours without encephalitis.
  • HEK293 cells expressing single or assembled NR1–NR2 subunits were used to map the antibody epitope; antibody titres were measured by ELISA, and effects on neuronal cultures were assessed by quantitative confocal analysis of NMDA-receptor clusters and by biotinylation/immunoblot of cell-surface NR1.
  • Statistical analyses used Fisher’s two-sided exact test, Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests with Bonferroni correction, and Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric ANOVA with Dunn’s pairwise comparison.

Limitations

  • The paper states that follow-up CSF titres were not obtained in most patients after improvement, and that future studies should clarify the best type and duration of immunotherapy, the role of prodromal events, and the molecular mechanisms decreasing NMDA receptors.
  • Evident from the text: this is an observational case series without randomized treatment allocation, so associations between early tumour treatment and outcome may be confounded; some clinical and laboratory data are reported as “data not shown.”
  • Evident from the text: the pathogenic evidence relies partly on in-vitro rat hippocampal neuronal cultures and HEK293 assays, which may not fully capture human disease mechanisms.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/s1474-4422(08)70224-2

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35 of 35 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • It may state two separate claims as one. 30
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 8
34 of 34
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The effects of patients’ antibodies on rat hippocampal neuronal cultures reflect the effects of those antibodies on human neurons in anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis.

    “To assess the effect of patients’ antibodies on neuronal cultures, we first determined the extent of immunolabelling of NR1 (or NMDA receptor) clusters in postsynaptic dendrites.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    HEK293 cells ectopically expressing recombinant NR1 or NR1–NR2B subunits present the same epitopes as native NMDA receptors for patients’ antibodies.

    “Antibody titres were measured with ELISA on HEK293 cell lysates ectopically expressing NR1 or NR1–NR2B heteromers (webappendix).”
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Metadata

Authors
Dalmau, J., Gleichman, A. J., Hughes, E. G., Rossi, J. E., Peng, X., Lai, M., Dessain, S. K., Rosenfeld, M. R., Balice-Gordon, R., & Lynch, D. R.
Affiliations
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
  • Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (US)
  • Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (US)
Corresponding author
Dalmau, Josep
Venue
The Lancet Neurology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2008-12
Volume
7
Issue
12
Pages
1091-1098
ISSN
1474-4422 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2146199022
Cited by
3,488
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 117 · 2025: 130 · 2024: 170 · 2023: 140 · 2022: 198 · 2021: 239 · 2020: 233 · 2019: 525 · 2018: 213 · 2017: 207 · 2016: 227 · 2015: 196 · 2014: 182 · 2013: 196 · 2012: 169
FWCI
72.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Lancet Neurology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (F31MH083395, R56MH057683, R01MH057683, R21 MH057683)
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA089054, R56CA089054, R01CA107192)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Clinical Neurology › Autoimmune Neurological Disorders and Treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Clinical Neurology › Peripheral Neuropathies and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Clinical Neurology › Myasthenia Gravis and Thymoma
Keywords
anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, NMDA receptor antibodies, autoimmune encephalitis, ovarian teratoma, psychiatric symptoms, seizures, dyskinesia, autonomic instability, hypoventilation, antibody epitopes, cancer immunotherapy
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Animals, Epitopes, Autoantibodies, Autoantigens, Brain, Cell Line, Cells, Cultured, Child, Child, Preschool, Encephalitis, Epilepsy, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Ovarian Neoplasms, Teratoma, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, Neurocognitive Disorders, Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System, Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System, Protein Subunits, Rats, Young Adult

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