Methods of detecting disorders of the central nervous system by detecting autoantibodies which specifically bind ionotropic glutamate receptors

摘要

A method of screening a subject for a central nervous system disorder caused by autoimmune disease (e.g., an inflammatory seizure disorder) comprises a sample from the subject and then detecting the presence or absence of anti-glutamate receptor autoantibodies (e.g., anti- GluR3 glutamate receptor autoantibodies) in the biological sample. The presence of such autoantibodies indicates the subject is afflicted with a central nervous system disorder caused by autoimmune disease. Methods of treating such disease by reducing the number of autoantibodies available to bind to glutamate receptors in the subject are also disclosed.