2020-05-01
Neurologic syndromes related to anti-GAD65: Clinical and serologic response to treatment
Publication
Publication
Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation , Volume 7 - Issue 3
OBJECTIVE: Antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (anti-GAD65) are associated with a number of neurologic syndromes. However, their pathogenic role is controversial. Our objective was to describe clinical and paraclinical characteristics of anti-GAD65 patients and analyze their response to immunotherapy. METHODS: Retrospectively, we studied patients (n = 56) with positive anti-GAD65 and any neurologic symptom. We tested serum and CSF with ELISA, immunohistochemistry, and cell-based assay. Accordingly, we set a cutoff value of 10,000 IU/mL in serum by ELISA to group patients into high-concentration (n = 36) and low-concentration (n = 20) groups. We compared clinical and immunologic features and analyzed response to immunotherapy. RESULTS: Classical anti-GAD65-associated syndromes were seen in 34/36 patients with high concentration (94%): stiff-person syndrome (7), cerebellar ataxia (3), chronic epilepsy (9), limbic encephalitis (9), or an overlap of 2 or more of the former (6). Patients with low concentrations had a broad, heterogeneous symptom spectrum. Immunotherapy was effective in 19/27 treated patients (70%), although none of them completely recovered. Antibody concentration reduction occurred in 15/17 patients with available pre- and post-treatment samples (median reduction 69%; range 27%-99%), of which 14 improved clinically. The 2 patients with unchanged concentrations showed no clinical improvement. No differences in treatment responses were observed between specific syndromes. CONCLUSION: Most patients with high anti-GAD65 concentrations (>10,000 IU/mL) showed some improvement after immunotherapy, unfortunately without complete recovery. Serum antibody concentrations' course might be useful to monitor response. In patients with low anti-GAD65 concentrations, especially in those without typical clinical phenotypes, diagnostic alternatives are more likely.
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| doi.org/10.1212/NXI.0000000000000696, hdl.handle.net/1765/125295 | |
| Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation | |
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Muñoz-Lopetegi, A. (Amaia), de Bruijn, M.A.A.M. (Marienke A A M), Boukhrissi, S., Bastiaansen, A.E.M. (Anna E M), Nagtzaam, M. M. P., Hulsenboom, E., … Titulaer, M. (2020). Neurologic syndromes related to anti-GAD65: Clinical and serologic response to treatment. Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation, 7(3). doi:10.1212/NXI.0000000000000696 |
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