title: Anti-nuclear antibodies and the optic-spinal form of multiple sclerosis.
abstract: We found anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) (1:20 or higher) in sera from 11 of 16 patients with a diagnosis of the optic-spinal form of multiple sclerosis (OpS-MS) and 13 of 59 patients with other forms of MS (other MS), both rates being significant (P = 0.0004). Six of the OpS-MS patients had a high level of ANA (1:80 or higher), while levels were high in only three of the other MS patients, showing a significant difference (P = 0.0022). Titres of ANA were significantly higher in OpS-MS patients than in other MS patients (P < 0.0001). There was no relationship between the presence of ANA and age in OpS-MS patients, while patients with were older than those without high ANA levels among other MS patients. ANA-positive rate and titres were significantly higher in OpS-MS patients than in sex- and age-matched other MS patients. These results support the concept that OpS-MS constitutes a distinct subgroup among patients with a clinical diagnosis of MS and may indicate that systemic dysregulation of the inflammatory or immune response is more common in OpS-MS patients; the possible pathogenetic relevance of ANA-associated vasculopathy to some patients with a clinical diagnosis of OpS-MS should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Hokuyukai Neurology Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukazawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyasaka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tashiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies