Mia Levite, Daniel Zelig, Alon Friedman, Nili Ilouz, Raya Eilam, Zohar Bromberg, Ally Ahmed Ramadhan Lasu, Sagit Arbel-Alon, Shimon Edvardson, Mark Tarshish, Lul P Riek, Richard Lino Lako, Benjamin Reubinoff, Mario Lebendiker, Dayana Yaish, Alexandra Stavsky, Eithan Galun
Nodding Syndrome (NS) is a fatal pediatric epilepsy of unknown etiology, accompanied by multiple neurological impairments, and associated with Onchocerca volvulus (Ov), malnutrition, war-induced trauma, and other insults. NS patients have neuroinflammation, and ~50% have cross-reactive Ov/Leiomodin-1 neurotoxic autoimmune antibodies. RESULTS: Studying 30 South Sudanese NS patients and a similar number of healthy subjects from the same geographical region, revealed autoimmune antibodies to 3 extracellular peptides of ionotropic glutamate receptors in NS patients: AMPA-GluR3B peptide antibodies (86%), NMDA-NR1 peptide antibodies (77%) and NMDA-NR2 peptide antibodies (87%) (in either 1:10, 1:100 or 1:1000 serum dilution)...
April 10, 2020: Journal of Autoimmunity