Labeling of rat neurons by anti-GluR3 IgG from patients with Rasmussen encephalitis

The authors report the immunocytochemical localization in rat brain of affi nity-purified anti-GluR3 (glutamate receptor) antibodies from two patients with Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) and from immunized rabbits, The distributi on of immunolabeling was similar using antibodies from rabbits and patients with RE. No electrophysiologic responses were elicited from acutely dissoc iated kainate-responsive neurons isolated from rat brain when these antibod ies were applied. These findings show that anti-GluR3 antibodies purified f rom patients with RE bind to specific regions of the CNS but do not act thr ough an excitotoxic mechanism.