Aquaporin 4 Antibody in the Korean Patient with New-Onset Optic Neuritis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence of aquaporin 4 antibody (AQP4-Ab) in new-onset optic neuritis patients and investigate the characteristics of seropositive patients.


METHODS
Thirty-six women and six men with new-onset isolated optic neuritis were included in this study between January 2013 and December 2014. AQP4-Ab was detected and all blood samples were obtained prior to treatment and within one week from attack. The patients were sub-grouped into either a seropositive group or a seronegative group according to AQP4-Ab. Differences in age, gender, initial visual acuity, and final visual acuity between groups were analyzed.


RESULTS
Six (14.3%) of these patients (five women and one man) exhibited AQP4-Ab. There was no significant difference in mean age between study groups (positive group: 38.7 ± 11.5 years, negative group: 42.3 ± 14.7 years, P=0.548). Bilateral simultaneous involvement was more common in seropositive patients than in seronegative patients (occurred in two out of six seropositive patients and in one out of 36 seronegative patients, P = 0.007). With regards to poor visual outcome (worse than 1.0 LogMAR), seropositive patients exhibited more severe visual loss than seronegative patients. None of the seropositive patients exhibited myelitis symptoms during the follow-up period (mean follow-up period: 8-32 months).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of AQP4 antibody was often detected in new-onset optic neuritis patients. In patients with bilateral involvement or poor initial visual acuity, the AQP4 antibody test should be considered.
a Department of Ophthalmology , Kim's Eye Hospital , Seoul , Korea.
Kyung Min
KM
Kim
a Department of Ophthalmology , Kim's Eye Hospital , Seoul , Korea.|b Department of Ophthalmology , Konyang University College of Medicine , Daejeon , Korea.
Ungsoo Samuel
US
Kim
D000328:Adult; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity
D051401:Aquaporin 4; D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers
Aquaporin 4-antibody; Korean; neuromyelitis optica; optic neuritis; prevalence