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Cytokines/chemokines and immune checkpoint molecules in anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 encephalitis

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Abstract

Objective

We aimed to investigate levels of cytokines/chemokines and immune checkpoint molecules in patients with anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1) encephalitis.

Methods

The study recruited 12 patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis and six non-inflammatory controls from the Qilu Hospital of Shandong University treated between January 2019 and December 2020. Serum levels of 30 cytokines/chemokines and 10 checkpoint molecules were measured in participants of both the groups.

Results

In contrast to those in the control group, 24 cytokines/chemokines and 5 immune checkpoint molecules were differentially expressed in patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis, with 14 cytokines being upregulated and 10 being downregulated. There were 1033 enriched biological processes and 61 enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling pathways.

Conclusion

A wide range of cytokines/chemokines and immune checkpoint molecules are implicated in immune regulation in anti-LGI1 encephalitis, indicating that they may serve as important targets in the development and treatment of the disease.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all participants and their families for their cooperation.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (Grant number 81873786).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China

    Shan Qiao, Shan-chao Zhang & Ai-hua Wang

  2. Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China

    Shan Qiao

  3. Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China

    Hai-yun Li, Zhi-hao Wang & Xue-wu Liu

  4. Institute of Epilepsy, Shandong University, Jinan, China

    Yang Jin & Xue-wu Liu

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  1. Shan Qiao
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Correspondence to Xue-wu Liu.

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Ethics approval

Approval was obtained from the ethics committee of the Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (No. KYLL-202008–044). The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Qiao, S., Zhang, Sc., Li, Hy. et al. Cytokines/chemokines and immune checkpoint molecules in anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 encephalitis. Neurol Sci 44, 1017–1029 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-022-06526-6

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