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Flow Cytometric Analysis of Lymphocyte Infiltration in Central Nervous System during Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
Published on: November 17, 2020
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Searching for autoimmune encephalitis: Beware of normal CSF.
Julien Hébert1, Priti Gros1, Sarah Lapointe2
1University of Toronto, Division of Neurology, Canada.
Journal of Neuroimmunology
|June 21, 2020
Summary
In early active autoimmune encephalitis (AE), many patients have normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) white blood cell counts and protein levels. Including CSF oligoclonal bands improves detection of inflammation.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Immunology
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is a group of neurological disorders characterized by inflammation in the brain.
- Identifying inflammatory markers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is crucial for diagnosing early active AE.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of CSF inflammatory markers in patients with early active AE.
- To assess the diagnostic utility of white blood cell count, protein concentration, and oligoclonal bands in AE.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of CSF characteristics from 95 patients diagnosed with AE.
- Evaluation of white blood cell count, protein concentration, and CSF-specific oligoclonal bands.
Main Results:
- 27% of AE patients had normal CSF white blood cell counts and protein levels.
- 14% of AE patients had normal CSF when oligoclonal bands were also considered.
- Median CSF white blood cell count was 8 cells/mm³ and median protein was 0.42 g/L.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of early active AE cases may present with normal CSF white blood cell counts and protein.
- CSF oligoclonal banding increases the identification rate of inflammatory profiles in AE, particularly with early sampling.
