In neuromyelitis optica (NMO), the monoclonal B-cell antibody rituximab is a therapeutic option. Little is known about the course of NMO and the safety of rituximab during pregnancy. In this study, we report the clinical course of a patient with NMO after application of rituximab 1 week before inadvertent conception. Mother and child did not experience any adverse event, and the postpartum deve...

BACKGROUND Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) shows various brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities with recurrent central nervous system (CNS) attacks, although predominantly affecting the spinal cord and optic nerve. However, NMO with extensive involvement of the brain has infrequently been studied. We investigated the clinical, radiographic features and immunomodulating changes of NMO p...

Background and Objective: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) shares certain features with multiple sclerosis (MS). Similar phenotypes, wide spectrum and the differential prevalence of NMO among ethnic backgrounds pose diagnostic challenges. NMO-IgG antibodies are specific biomarker for NMO and facilitate its differentiation from other demyelinating diseases. This study aimed to assess the frequency of ...

INTRODUCTION Animal models of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) are needed for drug testing and evaluation of NMO disease pathogenesis mechanisms. RESULTS We describe a novel passive-transfer model of NMO in which rats made seropositive for human anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) immunoglobulin G antibody (NMO-IgG) by intraperitoneal (IP) injections were subject to intracerebral needle injury. Following a sin...

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is thought to be caused by immunoglobulin G autoantibodies (NMO-IgG) against astrocyte water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4). A recent study (Hinson et al. (2012) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109:1245-1250) reported that NMO-IgG inhibits AQP4 water permeability directly and causes rapid cellular internalization of the M1 but not M23 isoform of AQP4, resulting in AQP4 clustering,...

Autoantibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4) in seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (called here NMO) initiate pathology in the central nervous system by binding to AQP4 on astrocytes. It has been puzzling why skeletal muscle, which also expresses AQP4, is rarely affected in NMO, despite easy access of circulating NMO autoantibody (AQP4-IgG) to AQP4 on skeletal muscle. Rosito et a...

BACKGROUND Optic neuritis (ON) may occur in isolation or may herald multiple sclerosis (MS) or neuromyelitis optica (NMO). Occasionally, ON may recur many times without intervening evidence of dissemination in space. OBJECTIVE To define the clinical course and prognosis of patients with recurrent ON. DESIGN Retrospective medical record review and telephone follow-up survey. SETTING Clinic...

W hat is the most important moment in the history of a disease? Let us consider neuromyelitis optica (NMO), which was coined by French neurologist Eugene Devic in 1894 for a disease believed until recently to be a subtype of multiple sclerosis (MS). The discovery (in 2004) of a disease-specific biomarker for NMO revolutionized our understanding of both NMO and MS (1). In PNAS, Hinson et al. (2)...

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an aggressive demyelinating disease that typically affects the optic nerves and spinal cord. While it is increasingly recognized that cerebral lesions are common in NMO, there have been no reported cases of NMO presenting with psychiatric symptoms and polydipsia. We describe a patient with classic signs and symptoms of NMO who also demonstrated prominent psychiatri...

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease characterized by antibodies against aquaporin-4 in up to 80% of the cases and even less in the NMO spectrum disorders, which may be difficult to distinguish from early multiple sclerosis. While immunosuppressive therapy should be introduced in definite NMO, treatment strategies of NMO spectrum disorders are less clearly defined...