AUTHOR=Hou Ju-Yin , Liu Hsin-Uei , Kuo Cheng-Yen , Liu Yi-Hsuan , Lin Jainn-Jim , Hsieh Meng-Ying , Hung Po-Cheng , Cheng Yi-Ting , Su I-Chen , Wang Huei-Shyong , Chou I-Jun , Lin Kuang-Lin TITLE=The clinical relevance of anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies in children with encephalitis/encephalopathy JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience VOLUME=16 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.1081580 DOI=10.3389/fnins.2022.1081580 ISSN=1662-453X ABSTRACT=

Anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD) antibodies are associated with different types of syndromes. However, few studies have investigated the correlation between anti-GAD antibody titers with clinical severity and outcomes in children with encephalitis/encephalopathy. In this single-center retrospective cohort study, we consecutively enrolled hospitalized children who had encephalitis and/or encephalopathy with positive anti-GAD antibodies in serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from February 2010 to October 2021. Thirty-seven patients were included and divided into high-titer and low-titer groups. The patients with high anti-GAD antibody titers were associated with initial symptoms of language difficulty and ataxia. The level of titers was not associated with severity or outcomes. Anti-GAD antibody titers decreased after immunotherapy, however, the clinical response to immunotherapy was variable. A transient elevation in anti-GAD antibody titers during immunotherapy was noted. Further studies are warranted to investigate the role of anti-GAD antibodies in the pathogenesis and immune mechanisms of encephalitis/encephalopathy.