Background: Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) is defined clinically by acute transverse myelitis (ATM) and radiologically by extensive spinal cord (SC) lesions spanning three or more vertebral segments on Magnetic Ressonance Image (MRI). Even that LETM carries a considerable diagnostic challenge, has been regarded as a spectrum of Neuromyelitis optica (NMO). The seropositivity for NMO IgG, a specific biomarker of NMO, is variable in LETM patients around the world and reach 30-35% in brazilian series.
In 2004, a highly disease-specific autoantibody named NMO-IgG was discovered in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and NMO related diseases (i.e. relapsing optic neuritis and longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis). The target antigen of NMO-IgG was identified as aquaporin-4 (AQP4), the main water channel protein in the central nervous system (CNS).
There are two distinct subtypes of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Asians: opticospinal (OSMS) and conventional (CMS). OSMS has similar features to neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and half of OSMS patients have the NMO-Immunoglobulin G (IgG)/ anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody.
Abstract Background: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO, Devic syndrome) is an inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system of putative autoimmune etiology that primarily affects the optic nerves and spinal cord. NMO is frequently associated with immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG), which are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differential diagnostic value of NMO-IgG for neuromyelitis optica (NMO) versus multiple sclerosis (MS) and to analyze its possible clinical features related to NMO-IgG. METHODS: Forty-one NMO patients and 44 MS patients in acute phase and 40 healthy controls were investigated. Serum NMO-IgG was tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay.
The detection of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibodies in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) led to a breakthrough in diagnosing NMO. To date, different assays to detect these antibodies are available.
Objectives: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an uncommon but life-threatening demyelinating disorder. With the discovery of the NMO antibody in 2004, diagnostic criteria have been revised
Sir, We report a 9-yr-old girl with a severe relapsing–remitting course of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) [who had a dramatic and -sustained improvement over a 2-yr period of treatment with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), the prodrug of mycophenolic acid. A 9-yr-old Caucasian girl, previously healthy, was admitted to A.
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), characterised by longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM), was previously thought to be a variant of multiple sclerosis.
BACKGROUND: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a serious idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating disorder characterized by acute transverse myelitis and optic neuritis. A significant proportion of NMO patients are seropositive for NMO-IgG, an autoantibody targeting aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channel. Paraneoplastic NMO associated various tumors were recently reported.