title: The prevalence of long spinal cord lesions and anti-aquaporin 4 antibodies in neuromyelitis optica patients in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It was the aim of this study to determine the prevalence of anti-aquaporin 4 antibody (anti-AQP4 Ab) and long spinal cord lesions in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Taiwan. Asia has a relatively high rate of NMO compared with MS patients. Anti-AQP4 Ab is an important marker for NMO worldwide, but serological data and clinical profiles of NMO patients in Taiwan have not been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study compared the clinical symptoms, demographics, spinal cord lesion length and AQP4 Ab status of 34 patients with NMO with 34 patients diagnosed with conventional MS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our NMO patients were predominantly middle-aged women (median age 45 years), exhibited many relapses (1.0/year) and displayed a higher Expanded Disability Status Scale score (4.75) than conventional MS patients. NMO patients exhibited long spinal cord lesions as detected by MRI. Forty-one percent of the NMO patients had detectable anti-AQP4 Ab. The Expanded Disability Status Scale score was significantly higher in AQP4 Ab- NMO patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of AQP4 Ab in a Taiwanese NMO group was 41%. Long spinal cord lesions and detection of AQP4 Ab helped to differentiate NMO patients from MS patients. Long spinal cord lesions with the anti-AQP4 Ab test may allow for an earlier diagnosis of NMO and improve therapeutic decisions.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Kai-Chen
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ching-Piao
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chao-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shao-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shyi-Jou
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: C496030:AQP4 protein, human; D051401:Aquaporin 4; D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D015415:Biomarkers