Quantification of retinal neural loss in patients with neuromyelitis optica and multiple sclerosis with or without optic neuritis using optical coherence tomography Mario L.R. Monteiro 1, Danilo B
Long-term follow-up of patients with neuromyelitis optica after repeated therapy with rituximab. Pellkofer HL , Krumbholz M , Berthele A , Hemmer B , Gerdes LA , Havla J , Bittner R , Canis M , Meinl E , Hohlfeld R , Kuempfel T
Analysis of 103 Hungarian patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease M. Banati, E. Koszegi, P
Koji Shinoda Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan Takuya Matsushita Department of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan Konosuke Furuta Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan Noriko Isobe Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan Tomomi Yonekawa Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan Yasumasa Ohyagi Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan Jun-ichi Kira kira@neuro.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan Abstract This report describes, for the first time, an occurrence of wall-eyed bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia (WEBINO) in a 19-year-old female with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) spectrum disorder, who had anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody. A high signal intensity lesion on T2-weighted MRI was detected in the midbrain tegmentum adjacent to the aqueduct, and presumably involved the medial longitudinal fasciculus bilaterally at the caudal levels. Plasma exchange resolved both WEBINO syndrome and the midbrain lesion
OBJECTIVE: To investigate an association between serum B cell activating factor of TNF family (BAFF) levels and anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody titers in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) after rituximab treatment. BACKGROUND: Anti-AQP4 antibodies are present in approximately 70% of NMO patients. Such antibodies are probably pathogenic and the titers are elevated during relapse as compared with those in remission.
The astrocytic aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channel is the target of pathogenic antibodies in a spectrum of relapsing autoimmune inflammatory central nervous system disorders of varying severity that is unified by detection of the serum biomarker neuromyelitis optica (NMO)-IgG. Neuromyelitis optica is the most severe of these disorders. The two major AQP4 isoforms, M1 and M23, have identical extracellular residues.
The availability of natalizumab for the treatment of multiple sclerosis has revolutionised the practice of neurology in at least one salient way: we now spend much more time thinking about progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). The reasons for this increased attention are not difficult to identify
Background: Antibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP4-Ab), known as NMO-IgG, are a sensitive and specific marker for neuromyelitis optica (NMO).
We evaluated 30 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) and 8 patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) to investigate correlations between Th1/Th2 balance, disease activity, effects of interferon (IFN)-beta treatment, and expressions of chemokine receptors CXCR3 and CCR4 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood. MS and NMO patients in the relapsing phase showed a significantly increased CD4+CXCR3+/CD4+CCR4+ ratio and CD8+CXCR3+/CD8+CCR4+ ratio compared with respective patients in the remission phase
INTRODUCTION: The existence of antibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP-4-ab) has identified neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS) as different diseases. Although HLA-DRB1 alleles contribute to MS risk, recent studies suggest that HLA back-ground differs between patients with NMO or MS in non-Caucasians populations
Rituximab is increasingly used for prevention of relapses of neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a condition that is highly associated with serum anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibodies. However, B-cell depletion also induces systemic B-cell activating factor (BAFF), which may promote antibody production. We collected serial serum samples from a total of seven patients with NMO prior to, and following, treatment with rituximab
Increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption can be found in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO); however, its clinical implication and association with disability at acute attack remains obscure. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical significance of BBB disruption and the subsequent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/serum IgG gradient in NMO.