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Benefits of multi-day supplementation with probiotic kefir in Rasmussen encephalitis: the first case report
Valéria R Lemos1, Rafaela Aires2, Larissa Z Côco1
1Laboratory of Translational Physiology and Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program, Vila Velha University, Vila Velha, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
Introduction:
Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) is a rare inflammatory disease, characterized by unilateral hemispheric atrophy, focal intractable seizures, progressive hemiparesis, and neurological deficits.
Case Report:
The patient is a young man under pharmacotherapy for epilepsy, exhibiting classical abnormal movements, which are consider typical hallmarks of RE. During clinical care sessions, he presented many episodes of tonic-clonic seizures involving sudden loss of consciousness followed by a post-ictal phase with weakness and interaction difficulty. During the kefir supplementation, the patient presented only short-term absence seizures, quickly returning to activities. Additionally, he presented cognitive and language improvement, being more responsive to commands. The daily diary control of patient's mother and caregiver at school reported an impressive reduction in number and severity of seizures, becoming less aggressive and more involved in school activities. The serum biochemical markers showed that kefir administration caused a significant decrease of pro-inflammatory and a simultaneous increase of anti-inflammatory cytokine levels. In parallel, after treatment, this probiotic reduced reactive oxygen species levels, increased NO bioavailability, revealing antiapoptotic and antigenotoxic effects. Regarding the microbiological analysis, kefir increased Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species.
Conclusion:
To our knowledge, this is the first case reporting remarkable beneficial effects of the probiotic kefir in RE. This case report strongly suggests kefir supplementation as a potential and safe-effective adjuvant therapeutic strategy in the control and treatment of RE.
Insights
Kefir supplementation shows promise for Rasmussen encephalitis (RE). This probiotic reduced seizure frequency and severity, improving cognitive function and inflammatory markers in a young patient.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) is a rare inflammatory neurological disorder causing progressive unilateral brain atrophy, intractable seizures, and hemiparesis.
- Current treatments for RE focus on managing symptoms, often with limited efficacy and significant side effects.
Observation:
- A young male patient with pharmacotherapy-resistant epilepsy, a hallmark of RE, was supplemented with kefir.
- During kefir supplementation, the patient experienced a significant reduction in seizure frequency and severity, with a shift from tonic-clonic to absence seizures.
- Observable improvements included enhanced cognitive function, language skills, responsiveness, and behavioral changes, as noted by caregivers.
Findings:
- Serum analysis revealed that kefir administration decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines.
- Kefir treatment also reduced reactive oxygen species, increased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, and demonstrated antiapoptotic and antigenotoxic effects.
- Microbiological analysis confirmed an increase in beneficial Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species in the gut microbiome.
Implications:
- This case report highlights kefir as a potential safe and effective adjuvant therapy for Rasmussen encephalitis.
- The findings suggest that probiotic interventions may modulate neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in RE.
- Further research into kefir's role in managing rare neurological inflammatory diseases is warranted.
