title: Clinical manifestations and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging findings in Chinese neuromyelitis optica patients.
abstract: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a disease distinct from multiple sclerosis in terms of clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) manifestations. Antibody to aquaporin-4 (AQP4) has been identified as a specific biomarker and part of the diagnostic criteria for NMO. Although it is relatively common in Asia, a comprehensive clinical and imaging evaluation of NMO has not been reported in Chinese patients. Here, we reviewed data from 57 Chinese cases. The patients had an obvious female preponderance (female/male = 8.5:1), and transverse myelitis (82.5%) and optic neuritis (56.1%) were the most common manifestations. In MRI, longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (6.9 ± 2.3 segments) dominated the spinal cord lesions, which were mainly (69.7%) distributed in cervical and thoracic cord. However, the length of the lesions was not correlated with onset age, paralysis severity, relapse rate, or duration. Among 29 patients who underwent AQP4 antibody assay, 17 (58.6%) were positive. There was no difference between seropositive and seronegative patients in terms of female preponderance, onset age, relapse rate, and Expanded Disability Status Scale score. However, seropositive patients had significantly more damaged segments (8.3 ± 3.5) than did seronegative patients (4.5 ± 1.6) (p < 0.001). The data revealed the clinical and MRI characteristics and AQP4 antibody status of NMO in Chinese patients and the correlations between them, which may have important implications for the diagnosis of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Aiyu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jiting
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Shifang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shenxing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murong
authors.forename: Zhiwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000276:immunology; D044466:Asian People; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009188:Myelitis, Transverse / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000473:pathology; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000473:pathology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C496030:AQP4 protein, human; D051401:Aquaporin 4; D001323:Autoantibodies