Nodding syndrome may be an autoimmune reaction to the parasitic worm <i>Onchocerca volvulus</i>.

ABSTRACT: Nodding syndrome is an epileptic disorder of unknown etiology that occurs in children in East Africa. There is an epidemiological association with Onchocerca volvulus, the parasitic worm that causes onchocerciasis (river blindness), but there is limited evidence that the parasite itself is neuroinvasive. We hypothesized that nodding syndrome may be an autoimmune-mediated disease. Using protein chip methodology, we detected autoantibodies to leiomodin-1 more abundantly in patients with nodding syndrome compared to unaffected controls from the same village. Leiomodin-1 autoantibodies were found in both the sera and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with nodding syndrome. Leiomodin-1 was found to be expressed in mature and developing human neurons in vitro and was localized in mouse brai

SUBMITTER: Johnson TP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5434766 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature