Figure 5.

While many treatments tend to reduce serum anti-IgLON5 levels, only combination immunotherapy coincides with reduction of anti-IgLON5 levels in cerebrospinal fluid. Intervals between two consecutive serum (A) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, B) samplings were categorized according to the immunotherapy administrated during the interval as described in the methods sections (None = no treatment, IVIG− = intravenous immunoglobulins only, RTX− = rituximab only, PLEX or CS = plasma exchange or corticosteroids, IVIG +CS/Aza = IVIG + corticosteroids or azathioprine, RTX + CS/CP/Aza/PLEX= rituximab in combination with corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, or plasmapheresis). The number of intervals is indicated below the bars. Antibody level changes during these intervals were categorized as higher (+> 20%, red), unchanged (± 20%, yellow), or lower (−> 20%, green). Bars show the percentage of intervals assigned to the three antibody levels change categories for anti-IgLON5 IgG1 (left graphs) and IgG4 (middle and right graphs) when grouped according to the treatment regimen. For the right graphs, treatments were dichotomized as monotherapy (Mono) or combination therapy (Comb). In addition, for statistical analysis treatments during the intervals were dichotomized into absence of treatment versus any treatment for serum (A, left and middle graph) or no or monotherapy versus combination therapy for CSF (B, left and middle graphs). A statistical comparison was performed by one-sided Fisher’s exact test. The p-values are indicated above the graphs.