Autoimmune encephalitis

Autoimmune encephalitis is a very rare disease that is associated with the detection of distinct autoantibodies in the serum (not in all cases). There are two groups of autoantibodies: 1. A relatively new group of autoantibodies that bind to the surface structures of nerve cells, are causally involved in the development of the disease, and can be treated effectively with various immune-modulating therapies; 2. Autoantibodies that have been known for some time, which bind to intracellular structures of nerve cells, are presumed to play little or no role in the development of the disease, and generally respond poorly to immunotherapies. Unlike autoimmune encephalitis with group 1 autoantibodies, diseases associated with group 2 autoantibodies occur in > 90% of cases with malignant tumors located outside the nervous system. Tumors are significantly less common in autoimmune encephalitis with group 1 autoantibodies.