Hypocretin Deficiency Develops During Onset of Human Narcolepsy with Cataplexy

• Study Objectives: Although hypothesized through animal studies, a temporal and causal association between hypocretin deficiency and the onset of narcolepsy with cataplexy (NC) has never been proven in humans. Setting: Paediatric Department, Blekinge Hospital, Sweden, and Danish Center for Sleep Medicine, Glostrup Hospital, Denmark. Patient and Results: Two weeks after his second Pandemrix-vaccination, a 10 year old HLA-DQB1*0602-positive boy developed NC. The CSF hypocretin-1 level was 10 pg/ml. However, CSF saved from a pre-narcolepsy episode of Lyme disease revealed a normal hypocretin-1 level (318 pg/ml). Conclusions: We confirm that hypocretin deficiency develops in parallel to the onset of human narcolepsy with cataplexy.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Pediatrik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Pediatrics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

H1N1

hypocretin deficiency

narcolepsy

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)