An Exploratory Study on a Potential Biomarker for Seizures in Autoimmune Encephalitis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Immunology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is a severe neurological disorder frequently presenting with seizures.
• Risk factors for seizures in AE are not well understood.
• Identifying predictive biomarkers for seizures in AE is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare clinical and laboratory features between AE patients with and without seizures.
• To investigate peripheral blood (PB) eosinophil counts as a potential biomarker for seizure risk in AE.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 106 AE patients.
• Comparison between seizure (n=48) and non-seizure (n=58) groups.
• Inclusion of a control group with AQP4-IgG-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).
• Statistical analyses included logistic regression and ROC curve analysis.

Main Results:

• The seizure group exhibited higher rates of prodromal symptoms, impaired consciousness, elevated CSF protein and glucose, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction.
• Significantly higher peripheral blood (PB) eosinophil counts were observed in the seizure group compared to non-seizure and control groups (P<0.05).
• PB eosinophil counts were identified as an independent predictor of seizures in AE patients.

Conclusions:

• Specific clinical and laboratory findings are strongly associated with seizures in autoimmune encephalitis.
• Elevated peripheral blood eosinophil counts may serve as a novel biomarker for predicting seizure risk in AE.