Autoantibodies against NMDAR subunit NR1 disappear from blood upon anesthesia

Anesthetics penetrate the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) and - as confirmed preclinically – transiently disrupt it. An analogous consequence in humans has remained unproven. In mice, we previously reported that upon BBB dysfunction, the brain acts as ‘immunoprecipitator’ of autoantibodies against N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor subunit-NR1 (NMDAR1-AB). We thus hypothesized that during human anesthesia, pre-existing NMDAR1-AB will specifically bind to brain. Screening of N = 270 subjects undergoing general anesthesia during cardiac surgery for serum NMDAR1-AB revealed N = 25 NMDAR1-AB seropositives. Only N = 14 remained positive post-surgery. No changes in albumin, thyroglobulin or CRP were associated with reduction of serum NMDAR1-AB. Thus, upon anesthesia, BBB opening likely occurs also in humans.