This document presents the guidelines for testing antibodies against neuronal surface antigens that have been developed following a consensus process built on questionnaire-based surveys, internet contacts, and discussions at workshops of the sponsoring Italian Association of Neuroimmunology (AINI) congresses. Essential clinical information on autoimmune encephalitis associated with antibodies against neuronal surface antigens, indications and limits of testing for such antibodies, instructions for result interpretation, and an agreed laboratory protocol (Appendix A) are reported for the communicative community of neurologists and clinical pathologists.
Keywords: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) antibodies; Anti-contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2) antibodies; Anti-leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 (LGI1) antibodies; Cell-based assays; Laboratory diagnostics.