CSF Brain-Reactive Autoantibodies are Elevated in Patients with Viral Encephalitis

Brain-reactive autoantibodies are thought to play an important role in mediating disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). These antibodies direct the processes underlying several diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus [1,2,3]. In infectious diseases of the CNS, the pathogen itself is regarded to play a major role in the pathogenesis [4]. In recent years, post-viral autoimmune reactions have been identified to be critical factors that influence the pathogenesis [5, 6]. The best understood example is anti-NMDAR (N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor) encephalitis [7], which is commonly caused by viral infections, especially by herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection.