title: Clinical manifestations of neuromyelitis optica in male and female patients.
abstract: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe, idiopathic, immuno-mediated, inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. We examined the clinical features between male and female NMO patients, for which not much data exist. One hundred and eight Chinese Han patients with NMO were analysed retrospectively, all had been detected for the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody using a cell-based assay. Of 108 NMO patients, 92 were female and 16 were male (female/male = 5.75). Ninety-four (87%) were positive for the AQP4 antibody in their serum and/or cerebral spinal fluid. Aquaporin-4 antibody-positive NMO patients had a higher female/male ratio than the negative group (P = 0.001). Female NMO patients had a higher positive rate of the AQP4 antibody than male NMO patients (92.4 vs 56.3%, P = 0.001). All NMO male patients were divided according to their AQP4 antibody status. 77.8% (7/9) of patients in the seropositive group had initial optic neuritis, while only one patient (14.3%, 1/7) in the negative group had optic neuritis (P = 0.041). Limb paraesthesia was reported in only one patient in the negative group (11.1%), but it was reported in all patients in the positive group (100%) (P = 0.001). The mean length of vertebral segments of the spinal cord lesions was 3.6 ± 1.3 in the positive group, while it was 6.6 ± 2.6 in the negative group (P < 0.0001). The involvement of the cervical spinal cord was found in 88.9% (8/9) of the positive members, but only 11.1% in the negative group (P = 0.009). However, the involvement of the thoracic spinal cord was found in 22.2% of patients in the positive group and 85.7% of patients in the negative members (P = 0.041). In conclusion, male NMO is rare and has a low positive rate of AQP4 antibody.
authors.forename: Jianrui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Youming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Fulan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Yongxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Linzhan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qingchun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000276:immunology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C496030:AQP4 protein, human; D000906:Antibodies; D051401:Aquaporin 4
keywords: Aquaporin 4,; Female Antibody; Gender,; Male,; Neuromyelitis optica,