Detection of anti-aquaporin-4 antibodies in neuromyelitis optica: current status of the assays.

摘要: Background Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe inflammatory demyelinating disease that predominantly affects the optic nerve and spinal cord. Since discovery of specific serum marker for NMO in 2004, its subsequent identification as an antibody to aquaporin-4 (AQP-4), various methods have been developed test antibodies patients sera. Objective To assess principal used measure AQP-4 sera, describe their contribution neuromyelitis spectrum examine value early detection disease. Methods We compared published data on each assay relapsing cohort uniform patient group direct comparison. Results The indirect immunofluorescence assay, cellbased (CBA) fluorescence-based immunoprecipitation broadly similar high sensitivities (86%, 91% 83%) cohort, but has lower specificity (91%) with other two (both 100% specific). Conclusions NMO-IgG allows routine screening, CBA most sensitive. fluoroimmunoprecipitation potentially high-throughput identifying positive sera serial estimations levels, present form slightly less Overall, these assays are proving very useful helping diagnose those longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis or recurrent neuritis who likely NMO, including myelopathy Sjogrens syndrome, it appears be often monophasic NMO.