title: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders without and with autoimmune diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) can coexist with non-organ-specific or organ-specific autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the features between NMOSD without and with autoimmune diseases, and NMOSD with non-organ-specific and organ-specific autoimmune diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty five NMOSD patients without autoimmune diseases (n = 115) and with autoimmune diseases (n = 40) were enrolled. NMOSD with autoimmune diseases were divided by organ-specific autoimmune diseases. The clinical, laboratory and magnetic resonance imaging features between two groups were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Motor deficit was less frequent in NMOSD patients with non-organ-specific autoimmune diseases (p = 0.024). Cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell and protein, serum C-reactive protein and immunoglobulin G were lower in NMOSD patients without autoimmune diseases, while several autoantibodies seropositivity and thyroid indexes were significantly higher in NMOSD patients with autoimmune diseases (p < 0.05). No difference was found in other clinical and laboratory characteristics between different NMOSD subtypes (p > 0.05). NMOSD patients with autoimmune diseases had higher brain abnormalities than NMOSD without autoimmune diseases (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The characteristics between NMOSD without and with autoimmune diseases were similar. NMOSD with autoimmune diseases have high frequency of brain abnormalities.
authors.forename: Bingjun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Yanqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yongqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong, China. lzqzssy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Zhengqi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*