Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe inflammatory CNS disorder of putative autoimmune aetiology, which predominantly affects the spinal cord and optic nerves. Recently, a highly specific serum reactivity to CNS microvessels, subpia and Virchow-Robin spaces was described in patients with NMO [called NMO-IgG (NMO-immunoglobulin G)]. Subsequently, aquaporin-4 (AQP4), the most abundant water chan...

The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site within the aquaporin (AQP)-4 gene exons and its possible role in the pathogenesis of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) were studied. From March 2010 to June 2012, 72 patients with NMO from Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine were enrolled in the NMO group. At the same time, 80 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were enrolled ...

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) appears to be a severe inflammatory demyelinating disease occurring in the central nervous system. Furthermore, the Fc receptor-like 3 (FCRL3) gene was previously found to be susceptible for a certain inflammatory demyelinating diseases (such as multiple sclerosis). The present study, therefore, was aimed to explore the possible association of FCRL3 gene polymorphisms...

BACKGROUND Complement mediated autoimmunity against aquaporin-4 results in astrocytic damage in neuromyelitis optica (NMO). There is evidence for increased CSF glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S100B levels in acute NMO. Here we tested whether the CSF finding also holds true for the diagnostic value of serum GFAP and S100B levels in NMO. METHODS A multicentre study included 322 patie...

INTRODUCTION Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe demyelinating syndrome characterized by optic neuritis (ON) and acute myelitis. The NMO spectrum is actually recognized to typically evolve as a relapsing disorder that also includes patients with atypical unilateral ON and those with index events of ON and myelitis occurring weeks or even years apart (Jarius/Wildemann 2013). NMO was previousl...

BACKGROUND Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severely disabling inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system and is often misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS). There is increasing evidence that treatment options shown to be beneficial in MS, including interferon-β (IFN-β), are detrimental in NMO. CASE PRESENTATION We here report the first Caucasian patient with aquaporin 4 (AQP4) anti...

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies have suggested different prevalence of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) in different ethnic groups. However, data on the incidence and prevalence of NMO in Caucasians are scarce. OBJECTIVE To estimate the incidence and prevalence of NMO in a predominantly Caucasian population based on the Wingerchuk 2006 criteria. METHODS The study was a population-based retrospec...

BACKGROUND Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe demyelinating disease defined principally by its tendency to selectively affect optic nerves and the spinal cord causing recurrent attacks of blindness and paralysis. Contemporary diagnostic criteria require absence of clinical disease outside the optic nerve or spinal cord. We have, however, frequently encountered patients with a well-establish...

In this work we focus on the growth of highly oriented Nd0.96MnO3 (NMO) perovskite epilayers different thickness single-crystalline (001)SrTiO3 (STO) template, using an injection metal-organic chemical vapor deposition process. X-ray diffraction revealed that have orthorhombic Pnma structure and were purely ((1¯01) parallel to (001) plane substrates. The orientation relationships between film s...

For the purpose of predicting multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) relapses in Japanese population, we evaluated the localization and age of each demyelinating attack. We retrospectively analyzed the 78 medical records of Japanese MS and NMO patients. Then we identified 49 cases of relapsing-remitting-type patients and defined each of 116 demyelinating attacks. NMO had an olde...