Table 3. Summary of key emerging biomarkers in autoimmune encephalitis.

AE: autoimmune encephalitis, DPPX: dipeptidyl-peptidase-like protein 6, IgLON5: immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecule 5, NfL: neurofilament light chain, MRI: magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI: functional magnetic resonance imaging, DTI: diffusion tensor imaging, IL-6: interleukin-6, IFN-γ: interferon-gamma, TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-alpha

Biomarker type	Examples	Potential clinical utility
Novel autoantibodies	DPPX, IgLON5, neurexin-3α	Identification of new AE subtypes
Neuronal damage markers	Neurofilament light chain (NfL)	Disease severity, prognosis
Advanced imaging techniques	Quantitative MRI, fMRI, DTI	Early detection of brain changes
Proteomic markers	Chitinase 3-like 1, complement factors	Disease mechanisms, potential therapeutic targets
Metabolomic profiles	Alterations in metabolic pathways	Early detection, insights into pathophysiology
Cytokines/chemokines	IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α	Inflammatory status, disease activity