Nodding Syndrome: Autoimmune Epilepsy Triggered by a Parasite?

Nodding syndrome is a seizure disorder characterized by atonic seizures, among other central nervous system symptoms, affecting children in Sub-Saharan Africa (primarily Uganda and South Sudan). This disease may have an epidemiologic link to Onchocerca volvulus parasitic infection. To investigate an autoimmune cause for nodding syndrome, researchers used a proteome microarray (with > 9000 targets) to screen sera from patients with nodding syndrome and healthy controls. A distinct signal for leiomodin-1 was detected. Subsequently, serum samples from cases and controls were screened (by ELISA) for leiomodin-1 antibody. The authors also tested: (1) leiomodin-1 antigen specificity (with a transfected cell line), (2) leiomodin-1 antibody-mediate…