Neurologic Complications of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Thoracic Malignancies

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the prognosis of cancers previously considered lethal. The spectrum of therapeutic indications is rapidly expanding, including the vast majority of thoracic malignancies. By enhancing the immune responses against cancer, the ICI treatments lead to the development of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that may affect any organ. Severity varies from mild to fatal clinical manifestations. Neurologic involvement is relatively rare and highly heterogeneous, including central and peripheral nervous system diseases associated with neural-specific autoantibodies or not, central nervous system vasculitis, and granulomatous and demyelinating disorders. Symptoms often manifest within the first four cycles of treatment and can develop regardless of the class of ICI used. An unfavorable outcome is found in up to one-third of patients and is generally associated with the patients’ clinical characteristics (e.g., age, coexistence of systemic adverse events), cancer type (e.g., lung cancer versus other), and specific clinical setting (e.g., ICI treatment in patients with preexisting paraneoplastic neurologic autoimmunity, ICI rechallenge after a first neurologic irAE). Diagnosis should be suspected in patients with new-onset neurologic symptoms while on ICI treatment which are not explained by metastatic disease or other metabolic/infectious disorders. Recommended treatment is based on clinical severity and consists of ICI discontinuation with or without immunosuppressive/immunomodulatory therapy, although alternative approaches are reasonable depending on cancer status (e.g., aggressive immunosuppression without discontinuing ICI in patients with initial cancer response). Early recognition and appropriate treatment of these neurologic irAEs are crucial for improved patient outcomes and therapeutic planning.     

Epstein-Barr virus-related encephalitis in a young woman: A case report

Although infectious mononucleosis due to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a common disease among young individuals, central nervous system (CNS) complications are rare. In this report, we describe a case of CNS complications caused by EBV in a previously healthy young woman. She presented to our hospital with a 9-day history of headache and sore throat, followed by the development of fever and facial edema 6 days prior to admission. On Day 2 of admission, she was confused (Glasgow Coma Scale score: 10 points) and had fever, muscle weakness in her right arm and leg, stiff neck, and roving eye movement. We detected EBV in a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The magnetic resonance imaging of her brain revealed dural enhancement and right parietal and temporal lobe lesions. She was treated with acyclovir and high-dose steroid therapy. She responded well to treatment, recovered without neurologic sequelae, and was discharged home on Day 12.Our experience suggests that PCR detection of EBV DNA in CSF may be useful in diagnosing EBV encephalitis and that prognosis may be associated with an area of the brain that is affected and the time from symptom onset to starting treatment.     

血清和脑脊液中MMPs与TIMP-1在重症手足口合并脑炎患儿中的诊断意义

目的探讨重症手足口合并脑炎患儿血清及脑脊液中MMPs与TIMP-1变化,为重症手足口合并脑炎患儿早期诊断提供依据。方法以2015-01—2018-03于郑州儿童医院就诊确诊为手足口患儿100例为研究对象,其中普通型55例,重型22例,危重型23例,其中重型及危重型HFMD组均为合并神经系统受累的患儿,统称为脑炎组。统计分析患儿脑脊液蛋白、脑脊液细胞数水平及脑脊液和血清中MMP-2、MMP-9、TIMP-1水平。结果(1)重型和危重型HFMD血清和脑脊液MMP-2、MMP-9、TIMP-1水平较普通型和健康对照组显著增高,危重型增高较为显著,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);(2)脑炎组血清MMP-2、MMP-9、TIMP-1浓度水平较普通型、健康对照组组显著增高(P<0.05);(3)相关性分析结果显示,HFMD患儿血清MMP-2、MMP-9、TIMP-1浓度水平和脑脊液MMP-2、MMP-9、TIMP-1浓度水平显著正相关,相关系数分别为(r=0.719,P=0.001;r=0.638,P=0.000;r=0.704,P=0.000);(4)血清MMP-2、MMP-9和TIMP-1浓度水平预测脑炎ROC分析,曲线下面积分别为0.95695%CI(0.919、0.994)、0.95195%CI(0.906、0.996)、0.88795%CI(0.852、0.949),最佳截断点分别为103.59、96.34、108.64,相应敏感度和特异度分别为84.4%和94.5%、93.3和87.3%、88.9%和72.7%。结论重型和危重型HFMD合并神经系统受累病例血清和脑脊液中MMP-2、MMP-9、TIMP-1水平升高明显,对于重症手足口病合并脑炎的辅助诊断在临床上具有重要的意义。     

The emergence of human Powassan virus infection in North America

Powassan virus (POWV) is a tickborne flavivirus discovered in Ontario, Canada in 1958 that causes long-term neurological sequelae in about half the reported cases and death in a little more than 10 % of cases. The incidence of POWV disease is rising in the United States but there is limited understanding of the scope and causes of recent changes in POWV epidemiology. We focus on quantifying the increase in human POWV disease incidence and infection prevalence in the United States. We also examine differences in the frequency of symptomatic cases and asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic cases, as well as limitations in national and state surveillance for POWV infection. We searched SCOPUS for all articles containing original POWV prevalence research, case studies, or literature reviews published in English. Case studies were supplemented by Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report POWV data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and surveillance information from state health department websites. An increase in the number of POWV cases has been reported in the United States over the past 50 yr, and the geographic range of human POWV cases has expanded. The age distribution of symptomatic POWV cases has shifted, with significantly more individuals over 40 yr old being diagnosed after 1998. The emergence of POWV is due in large part to: (i) a change in transmission of POWV from a vector that rarely bites people (Ixodes cookei) to a new vector that often bites people (Ixodes scapularis) and has expanded its geographic range, (ii) enhanced surveillance efforts for arboviruses, and (iii) a greater awareness of POWV infection.     

Report of the 21st Annual Meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE): TBE − record year 2018

The 21st Meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE) − a group of neurologists, general practitioners, clinicians, travel physicians, virologists, pediatricians, ecologists, and epidemiologists − was held under the theme “TBE – record year 2018″. Several key topics in the field of TBE were extensively discussed, among them current epidemiological developments in different countries, expansion of risk areas, virological and clinical aspects, importance of awareness, traveling and mobility, and latest news on TBE vaccination. The main goals that have been achieved by the ISW-TBE so far are, among others, an increased awareness in endemic and non-endemic countries, an increase of vaccination rates in various countries, getting TBE acknowledged and established as a travel-related risk, and building contact with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.     

Serum matrix metallopeptidase-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 levels in autoimmune encephalitis

ObjectiveSome pediatric patients with autoimmune encephalitis (AE) experience sequelae in spite of immunotherapy. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association of serum matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) levels with the neurological prognosis of AE.MethodsWe retrospectively included 13 patients with AE who had been referred to Saitama Children’s Medical Center from February 2011 to May 2019. We compared serum MMP-9 levels, TIMP-1 levels, and MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in the acute period (within 30 days from the onset of AE) and subacute period (30-day period following the acute period). We also compared these biomarker levels between patients with (group A) and without sequelae (group B). Sequelae were evaluated at discharge or the last visit.ResultsGroup A (median age, 7.8 years; range, 5.3–10.7 years) and group B (median age, 13.3 years; range, 11.1–15.4 years) had 6 patients each; 1 patient was excluded because the time of AE onset was unknown. In the acute period, there were no significant differences in MMP-9 levels, TIMP-1 levels, and MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio between groups A and B. In the subacute period, serum MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio was higher in group A than in group B (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels between groups A and B.ConclusionsPatients with sequelae of AE showed a high MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in the subacute period. Our study demonstrates that elevation of serum MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in the subacute period may be a predictive factor of sequelae of AE.