Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40768327›Full record

ArticleEpilepsia2025

The gut microbiome associated with LGI1-antibody encephalitis.

Edmund Gilbert, Sophie Binks, Valentina Damato, Christopher Uy, Paula Colmenero, Mark Kelly, Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil, Marcus O'Brien, Marcus J Claesson, John F Cryan and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Epilepsia, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Edmund GilbertSchool of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5574-4520
Sophie BinksOxford Autoimmune Neurology Group, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Level 3, West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0991-5998
Valentina DamatoDepartment of Neurosciences Drugs and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Christopher UyOxford Centre for Microbiome Studies, Kennedy Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Paula ColmeneroOxford Centre for Microbiome Studies, Kennedy Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Mark KellyFutureNeuro SFI Research Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Mohamed Ibrahim KhalilSchool of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Marcus O'BrienSeqBiome Ltd., Moorepark Food Research Centre, Cork, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7632-2725
Marcus J ClaessonSeqBiome Ltd., Moorepark Food Research Centre, Cork, Ireland.
John F CryanSeqBiome Ltd., Moorepark Food Research Centre, Cork, Ireland.
Norman DelantySchool of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3953-9842
Sarosh R IraniOxford Autoimmune Neurology Group, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Level 3, West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
Gianpiero L CavalleriSchool of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9802-0506

Funding

Medical Research Charities Group MRCG-2018-005Medical Research Council MR/V007173/1Science Foundation Ireland 16/RC/3948Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 104079/Z/14/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveAutoimmune encephalitis is a cause of brain inflammation characterized by auto-antibodies, which target cell surface neuronal proteins and lead to neuronal dysfunction. The most common form is associated with auto-antibodies to leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1) protein, the presentation of which includes frequent focal seizures. The exact cause of these auto-antibodies remains unknown, but established predispositions include overrepresented human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. Yet, these HLA alleles are themselves common in the healthy ancestry-matched population. One potential etiological hypothesis is that an environmental trigger, such as the gut microbiome, interacts with a genetically predisposed individual.

methodsTo investigate this, we studied 42 patients with LGI1-antibody encephalitis (LGI1-Ab-E) and 27 familial/environmentally matched controls, and performed metagenomic shotgun sequencing, to describe the compositional and functional differences in the gut microbiome.

resultsWe observed that LGI1-Ab-E gut microbiomes exhibited a significant reduction in the ratio of Firmicutes (or Bacillota) and Bacteroidetes phyla, which is associated with the dosage of HLA susceptibility allele count in patients with LGI1-Ab-E. Furthermore, we identified differences in functional gene profiles in the gut microbiome that led to a reduction of neuroinflammatory protective short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in LGI1-Ab-E patients. SIGNIFICANCE: Taken together, our results suggest that a compositional shift in the gut microbiome of LGI1-Ab-E associates with a neuroinflammatory state, possibly through the reduction of SCFA production. Our study highlights the potential of the gut microbiome to explain some of the complex condition and unravel etiological questions. Validation studies with greater sample sizes are recommended.

Indexed as

AutoantibodiesEncephalitisGastrointestinal MicrobiomeIntracellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedYoung AdultAutoantibodiesIntracellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsLGI1 protein, humangut microbiome shotgun sequencingHLA associationLGI1‐Ab encephalitisshort‐chain fatty acid depletion

Identifiers

PMID40768327
PMCPMC12661261

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.