Brain Infiltration of Immune Cells in CASPR2-Antibody Associated Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy with Hippocampal Sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION

Antibodies directed against neuronal surface antigens have recently been identified in patients with focal temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) of unknown cause and mesial TLE with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS), thereby emphasizing the role of autoimmunity in TLE. Antibodies to contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2) are prevalent in MTLE-HS patients. We aimed to find out whether anti-neuronal autoimmunity might be involved in CASPR2 antibody-related MTLE-HS.

METHODS

Surgically resected medial temporal lobe specimens of seropositive and seronegative MTLE-HS patients were examined with hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical staining using specific immune cell markers.

RESULTS

Two of 5 CASPR2 antibody-positive MTLE-HS patients showed polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells infiltrating the subarachnoidal region. One of these patients also showed mononuclear cell infiltration in the parenchyma of the temporal lobe cortex. Subarachnoidal and parenchymal infiltrates contained CD3+, CD8+, and CD68+ cells. None of the 13 seronegative MTLE-HS patients displayed cellular infiltrates in their brain samples, and all MTLE-HS patients showed marked neuronal cell loss but no immune cell infiltration in their hippocampi.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that CASPR2 antibody-associated MTLE-HS can present with central nervous system inflammation; thus, this subtype of MTLE-HS might have an autoimmune origin.