title: Autoantibodies to Munc18, cerebral plasma cells and B-lymphocytes in Rasmussen encephalitis.
abstract: Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) is a rare form of severe unihemispheric epilepsy established to be an autoimmune disease. Here we demonstrate the presence of autoantibodies against Munc18-1 in 20% of patients collective with biopsy-proven RE. Intriguingly, brain biopsy specimens of these patients showed a striking perivascular accentuated infiltration of B-lymphocytes and plasma cells, suggesting a subgroup of RE patients harboring Munc18-1 antibodies and concomitant B- and plasma cell infiltration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, University Bonn Medical School, Sigmund Freud Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany. elenaabf@gmail.com
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Barón
authors.forename: Christian G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Bien
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schramm
authors.forename: Christian E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Elger
authors.forename: Albert J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schoch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002648:Child; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051938:Munc18 Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D001323:Autoantibodies; D051938:Munc18 Proteins