PDF of Article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3926208/pdf/nihms-549805.pdf
Author information
Dorlan J Kimbrough, MD,1 Kazuo Fujihara, MD,2 Anu Jacob, MD,3 Marco A Lana-Peixoto, MD, PhD,4 Maria Isabel Leite, MD, DPhil,5 Michael Levy, MD, PhD,1 Romain Marignier, MD,6 Ichiro Nakashima, MD, PhD,2 Jacqueline Palace, DM, FRCP,5 Jérôme de Seze, MD, PhD,7 Olaf Stuve, MD, PhD,8 Silvia N Tenembaum, MD,9 Anthony Traboulsee, MD,10 Emmanuelle Waubant, MD, PhD,11 Brian G Weinshenker, MD,12 Dean M Wingerchuk, MD,13 and GJCF-CC&BR
Abstract
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease preferentially targeting the optic nerves and spinal cord. Once regarded as a variant of multiple sclerosis (MS), NMO is now recognized to be a different disease with unique pathology and immunopathogenesis that does not respond to traditional MS immunomodulators such as interferons. Preventive therapy in NMO has focused on a range of immunosuppressive medications, none of which have been validated in a rigorous randomized trial. However, multiple retrospective and a few recent prospective studies have provided evidence for the use of six medications for the prevention of NMO exacerbations: azathioprine, rituximab, mycophenolate mofetil, prednisone, methotrexate and mitoxantrone. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of each of these medications in NMO and concludes with a set of recommended consensus practices.
Keywords: Neuromyelitis optica, aquaporin 4, drug therapy, immunosuppression
PDF of Article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3926208/pdf/nihms-549805.pdf