AMPA receptor antibodies in limbic encephalitis alter synaptic receptor location

To report the clinical and immunological features of a novel autoantigen related to limbic encephalitis (LE) and the effect of patients' antibodies on neuronal cultures.

We conducted clinical analyses of 10 patients with LE. Immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry were used to identify the antigens. Human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing the antigens were used in immunocytochemistry and enzyme-linked immunoabsorption assay. The effect of patients' antibodies on cultures of live rat hippocampal neurons was determined with confocal microscopy.