Autoantibodies against myelin antigens in patients with neuromyelitis optica

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the clinical relevance of anti-myelin antibodies in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO); titers of antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoproteins, proteolipid proteins and myelin basic proteins were measured in the sera of patients with NMO and compared to healthy controls, as well as to patients with other diseases. The frequency of presence of anti-myelin antibodies in patients with NMO was significantly higher than that in healthy and diseased controls. The expanded disability status scale scores correlated with the titers of the anti-myelin antibodies. Patients with anti-myelin antibody exhibited other autoantibodies significantly more frequently than patients without the antibody. Anti-myelin antibodies may be useful markers for predicting severe clinical courses in patients with NMO.