Serum anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

Neurologic Manifestations of Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Understanding of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS), associated neurological manifestations, and disease-directed treatment has grown considerably over the last decade. Herein, we critically review the current and high-yield literature related to the pathophysiology, neurological presentations, and management of APS with particular emphasis on the rare and more fatal subset of APS, catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS).

RECENT FINDINGS

APS may manifest with a variety of neurologic syndromes, with cerebrovascular disease representing the most commonly encountered presentation. Diagnostic evaluation and treatment are often tailored to the specific presentation, with suspicion and testing for antiphospholipid antibodies recommended when neurologic presentations occur atypically or in younger individuals. In CAPS, which is more rapidly progressive with multiorgan involvement, potential alternative microangiopathic syndromes should be carefully considered in the differential diagnosis. To date, anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists remains the mainstay of therapy in APS while triple therapy with anticoagulation, corticosteroids, and plasma exchange is standard of care in CAPS. Immunotherapy has shown early promise in refractory cases. APS is an autoimmune clinical syndrome with neurologic presentations classically characterized by vascular thrombosis, though recent understandings suggest additional direct immune-mediated phenomena. Our understanding of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of APS continues to grow and will continue to influence our therapeutic approaches.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, Factor VIII and Antithrombin III: inflammatory-clotting biomarkers in glioma

One of the key difficulties in glioma treatment is our limited ability to consistently assess cancer response or progression either by neuroimaging or specific blood biomarkers. An ideal biomarker could be measured through non-invasive methods such as blood-based biomarkers, aiding both early diagnosis and monitoring disease evolution. This is a single-center, case-control, 10-year retrospective, longitudinal study. We evaluated routine coagulation factors in 138 glioma patients (45 Females/93 Males; median [range] age, 56.4 [27-82] years; 64 non-recurrent/74 recurrent) and, for comparison, in 56 relapsing-remitting MS patients (41 Females/15 Males; 40.8 [25-62] years, 35 stable/21 active) and 23 controls (16 Females/7 Males; 41.7 [24-62] years) as well as Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in subgroups of 127 glioma patients, 33 MS patients and 23 healthy controls. Secondly, we assessed whether these indicators could be predictive of overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in glioma patients. NLR, d-dimer, Antithrombin III and Factor VIII were significantly higher in glioma patients compared to both MS patients and controls (p<0.0001 for all). ROC curves confirmed that either NLR, Antithrombin III or Factor VIII were moderately accurate biomarkers (0.7<AUC<0.9) for glioma patients compared to other two groups whereas d-dimer was a moderately accurate marker for glioma only when compared to controls. In multivariable analysis, NLR ≥ 4.3 (median) (HR 1.53 [95 % CI 1.04-2.26], p=0.03) together with the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ≥ 80 (median) (0.46 [0.31-0.69], p<0.0001) and use of steroids (1.75 [1.19-2.57], p=0.004) resulted independent predictors of OS while only KPS was independently associated with PFS. Our study showed increased levels of either NLR, Antithrombin III, Factor VIII, or d-dimer in glioma patients compared to MS patients and controls, where the first three represented moderately accurate biomarkers for this cancer. Among these markers, only NLR was found to be predictive for OS along with severe disability and steroid therapy.

Neurologic Manifestations of the Antiphospholipid Syndrome - an Update

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In recent years, the spectrum of neurological manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has been growing. We provide a critical review of the literature with special emphasis on presentation, proposed mechanisms of disease, and treatment of neurological involvement in APS.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although stroke is the most common cause of neurological manifestations in patients with APS, other neurological disorders have been increasingly associated with the disease, including cognitive dysfunction, headache, and epilepsy. Direct oral anticoagulants have failed to show non-inferiority compared to vitamin K antagonists for the prevention of major thrombotic events. Antiphospholipid antibodies are often found in patients with acute COVID-19 but clear evidence supporting an association between these antibodies and the risk of thrombotic events, including stroke and cerebral venous thrombosis, is still lacking. APS patients may present with several distinct neurological manifestations. New criteria will facilitate the classification of patients presenting with increasingly recognized non-criteria neurological manifestations.

Serum antinuclear antibodies associate with worse prognosis in AQP4-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND

Studies have demonstrated that antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) may be correlated with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). However, the conflicting results of studies about the value of ANAs in AQP4 antibody-positive NMOSD patients need to be further investigated.

MATERIAL

Case data were collected from 143 patients with AQP4 antibody-positive NMOSD. Patients were divided into two groups based on the ANA test results. The analysis of clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, and MRI examination results were compared between two groups: the NMOSD patients with ANA (+) and with ANA (-).

RESULTS

Disease duration of NMOSD is shorter in the ANA (+) patients with EDSS < 4 than in the ANA (-) patients (12.05 ± 16.73 versus 29.43 ± 41.03, p-value = .013). The median time from disease onset to an EDSS score of 4.0 is significantly longer in the ANA (-) NMOSD patients than in the ANA (+) patients (48.2 months versus 24 months, p = .04). In addition, ANA (RR, 2.234; 95% CI, 1.078-4.629; p-value = .031) can predict the severity of NMOSD.

CONCLUSIONS

Antinuclear antibodies seem to be associated with more severe disease activity in NMOSD patients.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and pregnancy: therapeutic considerations

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are a type of neurological autoimmune disease characterized by attacks of CNS inflammation that are often severe and predominantly affect the spinal cord and optic nerve. The majority of individuals with NMOSD are women, many of whom are of childbearing age. Although NMOSD are rare, several small retrospective studies and case reports have indicated that pregnancy can worsen disease activity and might contribute to disease onset. NMOSD disease activity seems to negatively affect pregnancy outcomes. Moreover, some of the current NMOSD treatments are known to pose risks to the developing fetus and only limited safety data are available for others. Here, we review published studies regarding the relationship between pregnancy outcomes and NMOSD disease activity. We also assess the risks associated with using disease-modifying therapies for NMOSD during the course of pregnancy and breastfeeding. On the basis of the available evidence, we offer recommendations regarding the use of these therapies in the course of pregnancy planning in individuals with NMOSD.

A Perspective of Coagulation Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis and in Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis

A key role of both coagulation and vascular thrombosis has been reported since the first descriptions of multiple sclerosis (MS). Subsequently, the observation of a close concordance between perivascular fibrin(ogen) deposition and the occurrence of clinical signs in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS, led to numerous investigations focused on the role of thrombin and fibrin(ogen). Indeed, the activation of microglia, resident innate immune cells, occurs early after fibrinogen leakage in the pre-demyelinating lesion stage of EAE and MS. Thrombin has both neuroprotective and pro-apoptotic effects according to its concentration. After exposure to high concentrations of thrombin, astrocytes become reactive and lose their neuroprotective and supportive functions, microglia proliferate, and produce reactive oxygen species, IL-1β, and TNFα. Heparin inhibits the thrombin generation and suppresses EAE. Platelets play an important role too. Indeed, in the acute phase of the disease, they begin the inflammatory response in the central nervous system by producing of IL-1alpha and triggering and amplifying the immune response. Their depletion, on the contrary, ameliorates the course of EAE. Finally, it has been proven that the use of several anticoagulant agents can successfully improve EAE. Altogether, these studies highlight the role of the coagulation pathway in the pathophysiology of MS and suggest possible therapeutic targets that may complement existing treatments.

Autoimmune diseases associated with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders: A literature review

INTRODUCTION

Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is an autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) which predominantly involves optic nerves and spinal cord. Since the introduction of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD) as a separate entity, there have been many reports on its association with other disorders including systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases. Here, we reviewed other immune-mediated diseases associated with NMOSD and tried to categorize them.

METHODS

The present review was conducted using the PUBMED database based on papers from 1976 (i.e., since the first NMO comorbidity with SLE was reported) to 2017. We included all articles published in English. The keywords utilized included Neuromyelitis optica, Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders, Devic's disease, in combination with comorbidity or comorbidities.

RESULTS

Diseases with immune-based pathogenesis are the most frequently reported co-morbidities associated with NMOSD, most of which are antibody-mediated diseases. According to literature, Sjogren's Syndrome (SS) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) are the most frequently reported diseases associated with NMOSD among systemic autoimmune diseases. Further, myasthenia gravis in neurological and autoimmune thyroid diseases in non-neurological organ-specific autoimmune diseases are the most reported comorbidities associated with NMOSD in the literature.

CONCLUSIONS

NMOSD may be associated with a variety of different types of autoimmune diseases. Therefore, systemic or laboratory signs which are not typical for NMOSD should be properly investigated to exclude other associated comorbidities. These comorbidities may affect the treatment strategy and may improve the patients' care and management.

Risk of venous thromboembolism in neuromyelitis optica patients hospitalized for acute relapse

Background:

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients may be at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) not only due to ambulatory disability but also due to systemic autoimmune and inflammatory mechanisms altering the hemostatic balance.

Objective:

To compare the risk of VTE in NMOSD versus multiple sclerosis (MS) patients hospitalized for acute relapses.

Methods:

Hospital admissions for MS or NMOSD exacerbations were retrospectively identified. Demographics and medical history were recorded. The relationship between visit diagnosis and presence of VTE within 6 weeks of relapse onset was assessed by univariate logistic regression. A multivariate model evaluated the relationship between diagnosis, age, race, gender, body mass index (BMI), disease modifying therapy use, oral corticosteroid use, oral contraceptive use, smoking, length of stay (LOS), and ambulatory status on VTE risk.

Results:

A total of 30 NMOSD patients had 55 hospitalizations; 179 MS patients had 264 hospitalizations. Six NMOSD patients and one MS patient had VTE. NMOSD visits compared to MS visits had an odds ratio (OR) of VTE of 32.2 ( p = 0.002). NMOSD was more likely to be associated with VTE (OR = 17.4; p = 0.01) controlling for age, LOS, and ambulatory disability.

Conclusion:

NMOSD may be a risk factor for VTE. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm this risk and determine implications for prophylaxis.

Painful tonic spasms and brainstem involvement in a patient with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory-demyelinating disease of the central nervous system classically characterized by optic neuritis and severe myelitis. New diagnostic criteria defined neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder as limited forms of NMO or diverse neurologic presentations in the presence of specific antiaquaporin-4 antibodies. We report the case of a 57-year-old woman admitted in our department for recurrent attacks of optic neuritis, tetraparesis with severe painful tonic spasms of the left limbs and brainstem involvement. Painful tonic spasms have been described as movement disorders associated with multiple sclerosis, but a growing number of reports describe them in cases of NMO.