Prognostic implications of aquaporin-4 antibody status in neuromyelitis optica patients

• Published in: Journal of neurology 2011-03, Vol.258 (3), p.464-470
• Main Authors: Akman-Demir, Gulsen, Tüzün, Erdem, Waters, Patrick, İçöz, Sema, Kürtüncü, Murat, Jarius, Sven, Yapıcı, Zuhal, Mutlu, Melike, Yeşilot, Nilüfer, Vincent, Angela, Eraksoy, Mefkure
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antibodies; Aquaporin 4 - blood; Aquaporins; Autoantibodies - biosynthesis; Autoantibodies - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Child; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Neurology; Neuromyelitis Optica - blood; Neuromyelitis Optica - diagnosis; Neuromyelitis Optica - epidemiology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Original Communication; Patients; Prognosis; Spinal cord; Turkey - epidemiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0340-5354; 1432-1459
• DOI: 10.1007/s00415-010-5780-4

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory/demyelinating disorder predominantly affecting the optic nerves and spinal cord. Recent findings showed an underlying humoral abnormality in NMO, characterized by a serum antibody against aquaporin-4 (Aqp-4-Ab). In this study, we evaluated the Aqp-4-Ab status among Turkish patients with NMO to determine the clinical and prognostic relevance. Serum samples from 35 consecutive patients with NMO followed at a single center and diagnosed according to the 2006 revised criteria, were evaluated for Aqp-4-Ab. All samples were obtained during a relapse prior to any immunosuppressive treatment. Aqp-4-Ab was positive in 21/35 (60%) patients. Among these cases, 11 had an EDSS of 6.0 or more, whereas only two patients in the seronegative group had such severe disability ( p