Anti-Glutamate Receptor Antibodies in Pediatric Enteroviral Encephalitis

In order to better understand enteroviral encephalitis we investigated the clinical symptoms and several disease markers. Between 2000 and 2005 eight patients aged between 9 months and 5 years were admitted to our hospital with one case having sequela. Glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), serum IL-6, and ferritin were elevated in most of the cases. Their IL-6 and diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROM) in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) were also high (86%). However, pleocytosis and high protein levels in CSF were rarely found. In viral loads of the first CSF, there were no differences between the patient with sequela and the ones without sequela. However, anti-glutamate receptor IgMdelta2 was only detected in the CSF of the patient with sequela. These findings suggest that the immunological phenomenon is more closely related to the development of sequela related to enteroviral encephalitis than other disease markers, such as inflammatory cytokine, free radicals, and viral loads. Therefore, a specific therapy against immunological status might decrease the sequela; however, further research is necessary to confirm this.