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Updated: Aug 6, 2025
Induction and Clinical Scoring of Chronic-Relapsing Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
Published on: July 4, 2007
[Clinical features of autoimmune encephalitis secondary to epidemic encephalitis B in 5 children]
Li-Fang Song1, Li Wang1, Zhi-Hui Tang1
1Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University/Henan Children's Hospital/Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450053, China.
Insights
Epidemic encephalitis B (EEB) can trigger autoimmune encephalitis (AE) in children, often presenting with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis. Immunotherapy shows effectiveness, though prognosis may depend on initial neurological status.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
Context:
- Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is a serious neurological condition.
- Epidemic encephalitis B (EEB) is a viral infection that can have neurological complications.
- Understanding the link between EEB and AE is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose:
- To investigate the clinical characteristics of children who develop AE following EEB.
- To identify common symptoms and diagnostic markers in these cases.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of immunotherapy and patient prognosis.
Summary:
- A retrospective study analyzed five children with EEB who developed AE.
- Key symptoms included movement disorders, fever, and behavioral changes.
- Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibodies were frequently detected, and immunotherapy was beneficial.
Impact:
- This study highlights EEB as a potential trigger for AE in children.
- Findings suggest AE symptoms post-EEB resemble classical anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis.
- Effective immunotherapy response indicates a potential for improved outcomes.
Objectives:
To study the clinical features of children with autoimmune encephalitis (AE) secondary to epidemic encephalitis B (EEB).
Methods:
A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of five children with EEB with "bipolar course" who were treated in Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to June 2022.
Results:
Among the five children, there were three boys and two girls, with a median age of onset of 7 years (range 3 years 9 months to 12 years) and a median time of 32 (range 25-37) days from the onset of EEB to the appearance of AE symptoms. The main symptoms in the AE stage included dyskinesia (5/5), low-grade fever (4/5), mental and behavioral disorders (4/5), convulsion (2/5), severe disturbance of consciousness (2/5), and limb weakness (1/5). Compared with the results of cranial MRI in the acute phase of EEB, the lesions were enlarged in 3 children and unchanged in 2 children showed on cranial MRI in the AE stage. In the AE stage, four children were positive for anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibody (one was also positive for anti-γ-aminobutyric acid type B receptor antibody), and one was negative for all AE antibodies. All five children in the AE stage responded to immunotherapy and were followed up for 3 months, among whom one almost recovered and four still had neurological dysfunction.
Conclusions:
EEB can induce AE, with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis as the most common disease. The symptoms in the AE stage are similar to those of classical anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis. Immunotherapy is effective for children with AE secondary to EEB, and the prognosis might be related to neurological dysfunction in the acute phase of EEB.
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