Abstracts from PACTRIMS, Bali, 26–28 August 2010

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to study the prevalence of NMOIgG in three groups of patients. Group 1: neuromyelitis optica (NMO) (with optic neuritis, more than three vertebrae transverse myelitis, normal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)); Group 2: transverse myelitis (TM), optic neuritis (ON) and multiple sclerosis (MS); and Group 3: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjögren's disease (SS), between June 2009 and March 2010. They had their diseases for 4 years or more. Sera were taken when disease was not active. NMO-IgG was assayed by a commercial immunofluorescent kit using an aquaporin 4 (AQ4)-transfected cell line. Results: In total, 58 patients were recruited from five hospitals, with written consent: Group 1 (n=5); Group 2 (n=35), MS (n=19), TM (n=8), ON (n=8); Group 3 (n=18). Some 13 patients from Groups 1 and 2 had positive NMO-IgG (4 NMO, 5 MS, 2 TM, 2 ON). No patient from Group 3 had NMO-IgG. Discussion: Sensitivity of AQ4 in diagnosis of NMO is 80%. Among the five MS patients with NMO, three had spinal involvement. Two ON patients had recurrent attacks, and two TM patients had very extensive spinal involvement in attacks. Among the 18 Group 3 patients with SLE, RA, or SS, NMO-IgG was not detected in any patient. NMO-IgG is a sensitive test for Chinese patients. MS may be positive for NMO-IgG. No patients with SLE, RA or SS had NMO-IgG.