18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic patterns and clinical parameters correlate with disease severity in autoimmune…

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the correlation of ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT metabolic patterns and clinical parameters with disease severity in patients with autoimmune encephalitis (AE).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 35 AE patients who underwent ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between March 2021 and December 2023. Clinical and auxiliary examination data were collected and analyzed using the t -test, Mann–Whitney U test, Fisher’s exact test, and Spearman correlation. Metabolic patterns on PET/CT were assessed both visually and using Cortex ID software across severity groups.

Results: Among the 35 AE patients (21 males, 14 females), 16 were classified as mild and 19 as moderate-to-severe. Compared to the mild group, the moderate-to-severe group exhibited significantly elevated neutrophil percentages and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), alongside reduced lymphocyte percentages, lymphocyte counts, and serum calcium ion levels (Z = −2.75 to 2.30; all p < 0.05). ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated a higher abnormality detection rate than brain MRI ( p < 0.05). The most common imaging finding was hypometabolism in the brain parenchyma, predominantly involving the parietal and occipital lobes. Furthermore, CASE scores demonstrated a negative correlation with Z-scores in the right medial frontal lobe, right superior parietal lobe, and bilateral lateral occipital lobes ( r = −0.456 to −0.567; all p < 0.05).

Conclusion: In addition to clinical symptoms, specific cerebrospinal fluid and serum biomarkers may help evaluate AE severity. ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT demonstrates a higher abnormality detection rate than brain MRI, and we preliminarily observed a correlation between regional hypometabolism and clinical severity scores.

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BibTeX

@article{liu202618ffdg,
  title = {{18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic patterns and clinical parameters correlate with disease severity in autoimmune encephalitis}},
  author = {Baocheng Liu and Ning Wang and Weiwei Kong and Yirong Zhu and Jiaxi You and Yanlin Zhang and Yizhen Shi},
  journal = {Frontiers in neurology},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.3389/fneur.2026.1880946},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13661387},
  note = {CC BY},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic patterns and clinical parameters correlate with disease severity in autoimmune encephalitis
AU  - Baocheng Liu
AU  - Ning Wang
AU  - Weiwei Kong
AU  - Yirong Zhu
AU  - Jiaxi You
AU  - Yanlin Zhang
AU  - Yizhen Shi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
JO  - Frontiers in neurology
DO  - 10.3389/fneur.2026.1880946
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13661387
AB  - Purpose: To investigate the correlation of ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT metabolic patterns and clinical parameters with disease severity in patients with autoimmune encephalitis (AE).  Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 35 AE patients who underwent ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between March 2021 and December 2023. Clinical and auxiliary examination data were collected and analyzed using the t -test, Mann–Whitney U test, Fisher’s exact test, and Spearman correlation. Metabolic patterns on PET/CT were assessed both visually and using Cortex ID software across severity groups.  Results: Among the 35 AE patients (21 males, 14 females), 16 were classified as mild and 19 as moderate-to-severe. Compared to the mild group, the moderate-to-severe group exhibited significantly elevated neutrophil percentages and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), alongside reduced lymphocyte percentages, lymphocyte counts, and serum calcium ion levels (Z = −2.75 to 2.30; all p &lt; 0.05). ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated a higher abnormality detection rate than brain MRI ( p &lt; 0.05). The most common imaging finding was hypometabolism in the brain parenchyma, predominantly involving the parietal and occipital lobes. Furthermore, CASE scores demonstrated a negative correlation with Z-scores in the right medial frontal lobe, right superior parietal lobe, and bilateral lateral occipital lobes ( r = −0.456 to −0.567; all p &lt; 0.05).  Conclusion: In addition to clinical symptoms, specific cerebrospinal fluid and serum biomarkers may help evaluate AE severity. ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT demonstrates a higher abnormality detection rate than brain MRI, and we preliminarily observed a correlation between regional hypometabolism and clinical severity scores.
SN  - 1664-2295
ER  -

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