Aquaporin-4 Antibodies Are Not Related to HTLV-1 Associated Myelopathy.
Diagnostic utility of NMO/AQP4-IgG in evaluating CNS inflammatory disease in Thai patients. Apiwattanakul M, Asawavichienjinda T, Pulkes T, Tantirittisak T, Hemachudha T, Horta ES, Jenkins SM, Pittock SJ. Source Department of Neurology, Prasat Neurological Institute, Bangkok, Thailand
Background: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an aggressive devastating autoimmune disorder affecting predominantly optic nerves and the spinal cord. We are able to assess the serum antibodies against aquaporin 4 (anti-AQP4 Ab, also known as NMO-IgG), which are highly sensitive and specific for NMO.
OBJECTIVE: To construct the human aquaporin-4 (AQP4) expressing vector and detect anti-AQP4 antibody in serum of patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO). METHODS: RNA was extracted from human glioblastoma and AQP4 cDNA obtained through RT-PCR.The fragment was cloned into the lentiviral expressing vector (iDUET101) and transformed into competent strain Hb101 for later amplification; plasmids were extracted from the amplified positive-bacteria-colony, sequenced and transfected into HEK-293T cells
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).