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Severe Bickerstaffs encephalitis treated with Rituximab: Serum and CSF GQ1b antibodies
Journal of Neuroimmunology, 08/08/2012
Hardy TA et al. – The authors describe a patient with seropositive Bickerstaff's encephalitis who did not respond either to plasma exchange or intravenous immunoglobulin but recovered following adjunct treatment with the anti–CD 20 monoclonal antibody, Rituximab. There was a concomitant reduction in serum GQ1b antibodies associated with improvement. Interestingly, GQ1b antibody was also detected in CSF. These findings have potentially significant clinical and immunopathological implications.