HSV signature antibodies predict the development of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis

Technology Description

Using high-throughput phage immunoprecipitation sequencing, novel antibody biomarkers against five specific Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) peptides were identified. Antibodies against these predictive “signature peptides” were almost exclusively found in patients with herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) and secondary anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (Fig. 1A, H+N+ group), with specificities greater than 98% and positive predictive values (PPV) greater than 80%, similarly in patients’ serum and cerebrospinal fluid (Fig. 1B). The signature peptides were used to develop a prototype ELISA, as an easy-to-translate and first-in-class diagnostic test (Fig. 1C), with the aim to advance patient-individualized risk assessment for a severe autoimmune complication in HSE- patients and to guide preventive treatments in the affected individuals. Moreover, the test can aid in determining the underlying cause of idiopathic encephalitis.