Neuromyelitis optica/spectrum disorder (NMO/SD) is a severe, inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). In the majority of patients, it is associated with the presence of pathogenic serum autoantibodies (the so-called NMO-IgGs) directed against the water channel aquaporin 4 (AQP4), and with the formation of large, astrocyte-destructive lesions in spinal cord and optic nerves. A l...

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (herein called NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system in which pathogenesis involves complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) produced by immunoglobulin G autoantibodies targeting aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG) on astrocytes. We reported evidence previously, using CD59-/- mice, that the membrane-associated complement inhibitor ...

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune disease that primarily targets astrocytes. Autoantibodies (NMO-IgG) against the water channel protein, aquaporin 4 (AQP4), are a serologic marker in NMO patients, and they known to be responsible for pathophysiology of disease. In brain, AQP4 mainly expressed astrocytes, especially at end-feet, where form blood-brain barrier. Following interaction bet...

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a relapsing inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, usually affecting the optic nerves and the spinal cord. It is presumed to be an antibody-mediated disorder and the target antigen is the water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4) on astrocyte cell membranes. NMO is a disease caused by astrocyte disorder and is distinct from multiple sclerosis (MS), which is a p...

BACKGROUND Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe autoimmune disease targeting optic nerves and spinal cord. The monoclonal anti-CD20 B-cell antibody rituximab is an emerging therapeutic option in NMO. However, neither long-term efficacy or safety of rituximab, nor the correlation between B-cell counts, B-cell fostering cytokines, aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-ab), and disease activity in NMO, h...

Many mammalian AQPs, including AQP1, AQP2, AQP4, AQP5 and AQP8, function primarily as bidirectional water-selective transporters. Cells expressing AQPs on their plasma membrane have an ~5- to 50-fold higher osmotic water permeability than membranes that do not. Water transport through single-file pores poses a biophysical limitation on the efficiency with which AQPs can transport water, so that...

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...

Neuromyelitis optica is an inflammatory demyelinating disease (IDD) of the CNS, which mainly affects optic nerve and spinal cord. Autoantibodies against aquaporin-4 also known as NMO-IgG have been implicated in the pathogenesis of NMO. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of NMO-IgG assay for diagnosing NMO patients and differentiating them from MS patients and those with undifferentiat...

neuromyelitis optica is an inflammatory demyelinating disease (idd) of the cns, which mainly affects optic nerve and spinal cord. autoantibodies against aquaporin-4 also known as nmo-igg have been implicated in the pathogenesis of nmo. we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of nmo-igg assay for diagnosing nmo patients and differentiating them from ms patients and those with undifferentiat...