Immunological diagnostics of autoimmune encephalitis: a one-year retrospective analysis

Medical Review (Med. pregled), 2026, 62(2), 21-28.

A. Yordanova, E. Ivanova-Todorova, K. Tumangelova-Yuzeir, D. Kyurkchiev

Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Sv. Ivan Rilski, Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Medical University of Sofia, Bulgaria

Abstract: Autoimmune encephalitis is a rare, immune-mediated disease that primarily affects the central nervous system. Accumulated clinical experience indicates that diagnosing this condition remains challenging due to its diverse etiology and clinical similarity to infectious encephalitides. Initially, autoimmune encephalitis was described in patients with oncological diseases and classified as paraneoplastic syndrome. The detection of specific autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune encephalitis not only supports an accurate diagnosis but also facilitates differentiation between paraneoplastic and non-paraneoplastic forms of the disease. In routine immunological laboratory practice, two main methods have been established for the detection of serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune encephalitis – indirect immunofluorescence on tissue sections or transfected cells, and immunoblotting. Both methods are characterized by high sensitivity and specificity and represent reliable tools assisting specialists in cases of suspected autoimmune encephalitis. The present article provides a retrospective one-year analysis, emphasizing the importance of these methods in the diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis.

Key words: autoimmune encephalitis, indirect immunofluorescence, immunoblot

Address for correspondence: Adelina Yordanova, PhD, e-mail: adelina.d.yordanova@gmail.com