Table 1.
Factors associated with low albumin level.
| Total (N = 32) | Low albumin (<4.0) (n = 17) | High albumin (≥4.0) (n = 15) | P-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics and Disease | |||||
| Age (years) | 47.1 ± 20.7 | 44.5 ± 22.5 | 50.1 ± 18.9 | 0.570* | |
| Male (% of cases) | 16 (50.0%) | 6 (35.3%) | 10 (66.7%) | 0.156 | |
| BMI (% of cases) | Low (<18.5 kg/m2) | 4 (12.5%) | 4 (23.5%) | 0 | 0.121 |
| Normal (18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2) | 19 (59.4%) | 10 (58.8%) | 9 (60.0%) | ||
| High (≥25 kg/m2) | 9 (28.1%) | 3 (17.7%) | 6 (40.0%) | ||
| Autoantibody (% of cases) | Anti-NMDAR | 15 (46.9%) | 11 (64.7%) | 4 (26.7%) | 0.042 |
| Anti-LGI1 | 14 (43.8%) | 4 (23.5%) | 10 (66.7%) | ||
| Others (Anti-GABAB, Caspr2, AMPA2) | 3 (9.4%) | 2 (11.8%) | 1 (6.7%) | ||
| Tumor (% of cases) | 9 (28.1%) | 6 (35.3%) | 3 (20.0%) | 0.444 | |
| Laboratory | |||||
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL) | 155.5 ± 34.3 | 145.2 ± 30.2 | 167.1 ± 35.9 | 0.124* | |
| AST (U/L) | 34.6 ± 33.2 | 48.0 ± 41.0 | 19.5 ± 7.8 | 0.0003* | |
| ALT (U/L) | 38.3 ± 38.0 | 50.7 ± 48.6 | 24.1 ± 9.8 | 0.037* | |
| ALP (U/L) | 67.1 ± 34.1 | 71.5 ± 41.4 | 62.1 ± 23.8 | 0.806* | |
| Total bilirubin (mg/dL) | 0.66 ± 0.33 | 0.56 ± 0.22 | 0.77 ± 0.40 | 0.120* | |
| Creatinine Kinase (U/L)† | 124 [63–227] | 129 [62–718] | 124 [63–227] | 0.922* | |
| C-reactive protein elevation (>3 mg/L) | 17 (53.1%) | 7 (87.5%) | 1 (12.5%) | 0.041 | |
| Serum sodium (mmoL/L) | 137.4 ± 6.9 | 138.3 ± 8.2 | 136.4 ± 5.1 | 0.183* | |
| Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dL) | 14.0 ± 6.9 | 15.0 ± 8.2 | 12.9 ± 5.2 | 0.650* | |
| Serum creatinine (mg/dL) | 0.73 ± 0.21 | 0.66 ± 0.20 | 0.80 ± 0.20 | 0.049* | |
| GFR (ml/min) | 101.1 [88.5–>120] | >120 [87.6–>120] | 94 [88.5–115.3] | 0.104* | |
| CSF (% of cases)‡ | Lymphocytosis (WBC > 5) | 15 (55.6%) | 11 (73.3%) | 4 (33.3%) | 0.057 |
| Elevated protein (>45 g/dl) | 13 (48.2%) | 6 (40.0%) | 7 (58.3%) | 0.449 | |
| EEG abnormality (% of cases) | 11 (34.4%) | 5 (29.4%) | 6 (40.0%) | 0.721 | |
| Brain MRI abnormality (% of cases) | 13 (40.6%) | 7 (41.2%) | 6 (40.0%) | 1.000 | |
| Duration | |||||
| Onset to Albumin (weeks) | 5.25 [3–14] | 5 [2–8.5] | 5 [2.5–16] | 0.179* | |
| Onset to first-line IT (weeks) | 5 [3–12] | 4 [2–10.5] | 6 [4–24] | 0.125* | |
| Prognosis | |||||
| ICU admission | 9 (28.1%) | 7 (41.2%) | 2 (13.3%) | 0.122 | |
| ICU duration (days)§ | 34.5 [21.5–60] | 34.5 [23–60] | 35 [10–60] | 0.613* | |
| Mechanical Ventilator | 8 (25.0%) | 6 (35.3%) | 2 (13.3%) | 0.229 | |
| Initial Severity (mRS ≥ 4) (% of cases) | 17 (53.1%) | 12 (85.7%) | 2 (14.3%) | 0.002 | |
| Response to initial immune therapies (% of cases) | Second week | 15 (46.9%) | 5 (29.4%) | 10 (66.7%) | 0.074 |
| Third week | 18 (56.3%) | 5 (29.4%) | 13 (86.7%) | 0.002 | |
| Fourth week | 20 (62.5%) | 7 (41.2%) | 13 (86.7%) | 0.012 | |
BMI = body mass index; NMDAR = N-methyl D-aspartate receptor; LGI1 = leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1; GABAB = γ-aminobutyric acid B; Caspr2 = contactin-associated protein-like 2; AMAPA2 = α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid 2; AST = aspartate aminotransferase; ALT = alanine aminotransferase; ALP = Alkaline phosphatase; GFR = glomerular filtration rate; CSF = cerebrospinal fluid; WBC = white blood cell; EEG = electroencephalogram; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging; ICU = intensive care unit; mRS = modified Rankin Scale; Fisher’s exact test unless otherwise stated; *Mann-Whitney U test; †17 patients were analyzed because the data of 15 patients were missing; ‡27 patients were analyzed because the data of 5 patients were missing; §Eight patients were analyzed because the admission date of one patient was ambiguous.