Background: A contributing factor in triggering autoimmune phenomena is pathogen infections. Here we describe a case that expands the spectrum of infection-associated autoimmune encephalitis and discuss plausible pathogenetic mechanisms.
Design: Case report and in silico analysis.
Results: A patient with West Nile Virus infection developed autoimmune encephalitis with positive anti-glycine receptor antibodies. Combination therapy with corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin resulted in the resolution of encephalitis signs and symptoms. An in silico analysis unveiled certain sequence similarities between viral antigens and receptor sequence fragments suggesting a molecular mimicry autoimmunization process.
Conclusions: Our case indicates that West Nile Virus infections can trigger autoimmune encephalitis. Our finding expands the spectrum of autoimmune conditions that can develop following an infection. Whether the autoimmunization process is due to molecular mimicry or due to the expansion of natural autoantibody clones merits further investigation.
Keywords: Autoimmunity; Molecular mimicry; Natural autoantibodies; Viral infection.
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