Neurofilament light chain levels reflect outcome in a patient with glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 antibody-positive autoimmune encephalitis under immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy

Abstract

Neurological immune-mediated side effects are rare but often severe complications of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. This report describes a severe case of nivolumab/ipilimumab-associated glutamic acid decarboxylase 65-positive autoimmune encephalitis. It proposes neurofilament light chain levels, a biomarker indicating axonal damage, in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum as a putative novel biomarker for this diagnostically and therapeutically challenging entity with an often unfavorable outcome. Additionally, we provide an overview of previous reports of patients developing autoimmune encephalitis under ICI treatment.

Keywords: biomarker; encephalitis; neurofilament; neurological disorders; oncology; paraneoplastic syndromes.