@article{fdi:010084702,
  title = {{D}etection and significance of neuronal autoantibodies in patients with meningoencephalitis in {V}ientiane, {L}ao {PDR}},
  author = {{U}y, {C}. {E}. and {M}ayxay, {M}. and {H}arrison, {R}. and {A}l-{D}iwani, {A}. and {J}acobson, {L}. and {R}attanavong, {S}. and {D}ubot {P}{\'e}r{\`e}s, {A}udrey and {V}ongsouvath, {M}. and {D}avong, {V}. and {C}hansamouth, {V}. and {P}hommasone, {K}. and {W}aters, {P}. and {I}rani, {S}. {R}. and {N}ewton, {P}. {N}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground {T}he importance of autoimmune encephalitis and its overlap with infectious encephalitides are not well investigated in {S}outh-{E}ast {A}sia. {M}ethods {W}e report autoantibody testing, using antigen-specific live cell-based assays, in a series of 134 patients (cerebrospinal fluid and sera) and 55 blood donor controls (sera), undergoing lumbar puncture for suspected meningoencephalitis admitted in {V}ientiane, {L}ao {P}eople's {D}emocratic {R}epublic ({PDR}). {R}esults {E}ight of 134 (6%) patients showed detectable serum neuronal autoantibodies, against the {N}-methyl-{D}-aspartate and gamma-aminobutyric acid {A} receptors ({NMDAR} and {GABA}({A}){R}), and contactin-associated protein-like 2 ({CASPR}2). {T}hree of eight patients had accompanying autoantibodies in cerebrospinal fluid (two with {NMDAR} and one with {GABA}({A}){R} antibodies), and in two of these the clinical syndromes were typical of autoimmune encephalitis. {T}hree of the other five patients had proven central nervous system infections, highlighting a complex overlap between diverse infectious and autoimmune causes of encephalitis. {N}o patients in this cohort were treated with immunotherapy, and the outcomes were poor, with improvement observed in a single patient. {C}onclusions {I}n {L}ao {PDR}, autoimmune encephalitis is underdiagnosed and has a poor prognosis. {E}mpiric immunotherapy should be considered after treatable infectious aetiologies are considered unlikely. {A}wareness and diagnostic testing resources for autoimmune encephalitis should be enhanced in {S}outh-{E}ast {A}sia.},
  keywords = {autoimmune ; {L}aos ; {LGI}1 ; meningoencephalitis ; neuroimmunology ; {NMDAR} ; {LAOS} ; {VIENTIANE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{T}ransactions of the {R}oyal {S}ociety of {T}ropical {M}edicine and {H}ygiene},
  volume = {[{E}arly access]},
  numero = {},
  pages = {[7 p.]},
  ISSN = {0035-9203},
  year = {2022},
  DOI = {10.1093/trstmh/trac023},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010084702},
}