BACKGROUND: Severe visual loss is seen in both multiple sclerosis-associated optic neuritis (ON) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO)-associated ON.
Background: Recent studies conducted in arthritis, asthma, and inflammatory bowel disease suggest that chitinases are important in inflammatory processes and tissue remodeling. Objective: To investigate the role of chitinases in multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO)
To investigate differences in helper T cell immune responses in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) between neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS), we measured CSF levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma at the time of relapse in 17 NMO patients and 21 MS patients using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. CSF IL-6 levels were significantly higher in NMO patients than in patients with MS (P = 0.001) and other neurological diseases (P = 0.001).
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) NAA concentrations in patients with different demyelinating disease phenotypes and to correlate them with clinical measures. BACKGROUND: NAA is considered a marker of the functional integrity of neuronal mitochondrial metabolism that is mainly catabolised in oligodendrocytes. Normal appearing white matter (NAWM) damage, reported in MS but not in NMO by MRI studies, is associated with decreased brain NAA levels.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the characteristics of the linear lesions and longitudinally extensive spinal cord (LESC) lesions in Chinese patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO).