Diagnostic signatures and immune cell infiltration characteristics in anti-GABAR encephalitis.

Purpose: Anti-gamma-aminobutyric acid B receptor (GABAR) encephalitis is an uncommon form of autoimmune encephalitis associated with a poor prognosis and a high fatality rate. We aim to find diagnostic markers for anti- GABAR encephalitis as well as the effects of immune cell infiltration on this pathology.

Methods: For quantitative proteomic analysis, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation were used in conjunction with LC-MS/MS analysis.

Targeted metabolomics reveals serum changes of amino acids in mild to moderate ischemic stroke and stroke mimics.

Background: The pathophysiological processes linked to an acute ischemic stroke (IS) can be reflected in the circulating metabolome. Amino acids (AAs) have been demonstrated to be one of the most significant metabolites that can undergo significant alteration after a stroke.

Methods: We sought to identify the potential biomarkers for the early detection of IS using an extensive targeted technique for reliable quantification of 27 different AAs based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS).

Effects of Sodium Valproate Combined with Lamotrigine on Quality of Life and Serum Inflammatory Factors in Patients with Poststroke Secondary Epilepsy.

Background: We sought to explore the effects of sodium valproate combined with lamotrigine on quality of life and serum inflammatory factors in patients with poststroke secondary epilepsy.

Methods: A total of 145 patients with post-stroke secondary epilepsy admitted to our hospital from January 2017 to June 2018 were collected: 76 treated with sodium valproate combined with lamotrigine (study group) and 69 patients treated with sodium valproate alone (control group). The levels of serum high-mobility group protein B1, matrix metalloproteinase 9, and interleukin 6 were detected before and after treatment, and the therapeutic efficacy and adverse reactions were compared between the 2 groups.

Anti-leucine-rich Glioma Inactivated-1 Encephalitis Associated with Essential Thrombocythemia.

Anti-leucine-rich glioma inactivated-1 (anti-LGI1) encephalitis is a subgroup of autoimmune encephalitis. We herein report the case of a 60-year-old man who presented with typical symptoms, including short-term memory loss, mental abnormalities, hyponatremia and seizures characterized by faciobrachial dystonic seizures and who was diagnosed with anti-LGI1 encephalitis. At the same time, he was diagnosed with essential thrombocythemia.

AQP4-IgG-seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) coexisting with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis: A case report and literature review.

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) can coexist with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis. Patients with overlapping Aquaporin 4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG)-seropositive NMOSD and anti-NMDAR encephalitis with positive NMDAR antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are rare but should not be ignored.

Methods: A unique case of NMOSD coexisting with anti-NMDAR encephalitis is presented.

Identification of serum miRNAs differentially expressed in human epilepsy at seizure onset and post-seizure.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as potential novel biomarkers for disease detection due to their marked stability in the blood and the characteristics of their expression profile in several diseases. In the present study, microarray‑based serum miRNA profiling was performed on serum obtained from three patients with epilepsy at diagnosis and from three healthy individuals as controls. This was followed by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis in a separate cohort of 35 health volunteers and 90 patients with epilepsy.

miR‑140‑5p regulates angiogenesis following ischemic stroke by targeting VEGFA.

MicroRNA (miRNA or miR) expression profiles are altered in tissues under hypoxic-ischemic conditions. The expression of miR‑140 is downregulated >2-fold following hypoxic-ischemic brain damage, however, its role in angiogenesis subsequent to cerebral ischemia is not fully understood. The present study aimed to investigate the role of miR-140-5p in angiogenesis and the molecular mechanism mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in an in vitro model for brain ischemia.

Time-dependent decrease of clusterin as a potential cerebrospinal fluid biomarker for drug-resistant epilepsy.

Our previous study on proteomic analysis has shown that clusterin (CLU) is significantly decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with epilepsy. Therefore, the present study aimed to confirm CLU concentration reduction in the CSF of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy and drug-responsive epilepsy. Fifty-two patients with epilepsy (23 drug resistance and 29 drug effectivity) and 20 control individuals were recruited.

Up-regulated methyl CpG binding protein-2 in intractable temporal lobe epilepsy patients and a rat model.

Methyl CpG binding protein-2 (MeCP2) is a multifunctional nuclear protein, and regulates dendritic morphology, synaptic transmission, spontaneous neurotransmission, and short-term synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system. This study was designed to investigate the expression of MeCP2 mRNA and protein in intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients and an experimental animal model. MeCP2 expression was detected in 35 temporal neocortex tissue samples from patients with intractable TLE and 14 histologically normal temporal lobe tissue samples from trauma patients without epilepsy by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry and double-label immunofluorescence.

Upregulation of liprin-α1 protein in the temporal neocortex of intractable epileptic patients and experimental rats.

Intractable epilepsy (IE) patients have synaptic dysfunction. However, the exact mechanism of synaptic function needs further elucidation. The aim of this study was to use immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting to investigate the expression of the Liprin-α1 protein, one of the synapse-associated proteins, in human IE brain tissues and experimental rats and to discuss the possible role of Liprin-α1 in IE.