Published: October 2011 Myasthenia Gravis during the Course of Neuromyelitis Optica Masoud Etemadifar a–d , Seyed-Hossein Abtahi a–c , Alireza Dehghani a,e , Mohammad-Ali Abtahi a,e , Mojtaba Akbari a,f , Nasim Tabrizi a,d , Tannaz Goodarzi g a Medical School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, b Isfahan Medical Students Research Committee (IMSRC), c Isfahan Research Committee of Multiple Sclerosis, d Department of Neurology, Medical School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, e Ophthalmology Ward, Feiz Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, f Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, and g National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Department of Plant Biotechnology, Canker Group, Tehran, Iran Address of Corresponding Author Case Rep Neurol 2011;3:268-273 (DOI: 10.1159/000334128) ? ? Key Words Neuromyelitis optica Devic’s syndrome Myasthenia gravis Multiple sclerosis Aquaporin-4 Interferon Thymectomy ? ? Abstract Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system that has been thought to be a severe subtype of multiple sclerosis for a long time. The discovery of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody as a highly specific marker responsible for the pathogenesis of NMO, not only has made a revolutionary pace in establishing a serologic distinction between the two diseases, but it has also classified NMO as an antibody-mediated disorder. Similarly, myasthenia gravis (MG) is a well-known antibody-mediated disorder
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system in which binding of pathogenic autoantibodies (NMO-IgG) to astrocyte aquaporin-4 (AQP4) cause complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and inflammation.
Devic’s neuromyelitis optica is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder normally restricted to the optic nerves and spinal cord. Since the identification of a specific autoantibody directed against aquaporin 4, neuromyelitis optica-immunoglobulin G/aquaporin 4 antibody, neuromyelitis optica has been considered an entity distinct from multiple sclerosis
OBJECTIVE: Severe inflammation and astrocyte loss with profound demyelination in spinal cord and optic nerves are typical pathological features of neuromyelitis optica (NMO).
How high doses of intravenous IgG (IVIG) suppress autoimmune diseases remains unresolved. We have recently shown that the antiinflammatory activity of IVIG can be attributed to a minor species of IgGs that is modified with terminal sialic acids on their Fc-linked glycans.
Background Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease that predominantly affects the optic nerves and the spinal cord, and is possibly mediated by an immune mechanism distinct from that of multiple sclerosis (MS).