Neuroglial biomarkers in autoimmune encephalitis: advances in diagnosis, prognosis, and pathophysiological insights. (2025)

Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) presents with a diverse spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms, often leading to diagnostic challenges and delays in treatment. Neuroglial biomarkers may improve AE diagnosis, disease monitoring, and prognostication. This review examines the diagnostic and prognostic value of fluid biomarkers in AE, focusing on markers of neuroaxonal damage, synaptic dysfunction, astroglial activation, and amyloid metabolism. A systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus databases (from inception until November 26, 2024) was performed. Of the 1,270 articles screened, 31 studies met the inclusion criteria. Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis was the most frequently investigated subtype (70% of studies). Neurofilament light chain (NfL) was the most widely