The role of anti-aquaporin 4 antibody in the conversion of acute brainstem syndrome to neuromyelitis optica

Cheng, Chen, Jiang, Ying, Lu, Xiaodong, Gu, Fu, Kang, Zhuang, Dai, Yongqiang, Lu, Zhengqi and Hu, Xueqiang (2016) The role of anti-aquaporin 4 antibody in the conversion of acute brainstem syndrome to neuromyelitis optica. BMC Neurology, 16 (1). ISSN 1471-2377

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Abstract

Background: Acute brainstem syndrome (ABS) may herald multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica (NMO), or occur as an isolated syndrome. The aquaporin 4 (AQP4)-specific serum autoantibody, NMO-IgG, is a biomarker for NMO. However, the role of anti-AQP4 antibody in the conversion of ABS to NMO is unclear.

Methods: Thirty-one patients with first-event ABS were divided into two groups according to the presence of anti-AQP4 antibodies, their clinical features and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Fourteen of 31 patients (45.16 %) were seropositive for NMO-IgG. The 71.43 % of anti-AQP4 (+) ABS patients converted to NMO, while only 11.76 % of anti-AQP4 (-) ABS patients progressed to NMO. Anti-AQP4 (+) ABS patients demonstrated a higher IgG index (0.68 ± 0.43 vs 0.42 ± 0.13, p < 0.01) and Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (4.64 ± 0.93 vs 2.56 ± 0.81, p < 0.01) than anti-AQP4 (-) ABS patients. Area postrema clinical brainstem symptoms occurred more frequently in anti-AQP4 (+) ABS patients than those in anti-AQP4 (-) ABS patients (71.43 % vs 17.65 %, p = 0.004). In examination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the 78.57 % of anti-AQP4 (+) ABS patients had medulla-predominant involvements in the sagittal view and dorsal-predominant involvements in the axial view.

Conclusions: ABS represents an inaugural or limited form of NMO in a high proportion of anti-AQP4 (+) patients.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: Acute brainstem syndrome; Anti-aquaporin 4 antibody; Neuromyelitis optica; Magnetic resonance imaging
Schools/Departments: University of Nottingham Ningbo China > Faculty of Science and Engineering > Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-016-0721-1
Depositing User: LIN, Zhiren
Date Deposited: 18 Oct 2017 14:36
Last Modified: 18 Oct 2017 14:40
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/47351

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