Multiple sclerosis : clinical and laboratory research
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Observational Study
Effect of disease-modifying therapies on subcortical gray matter atrophy in multiple sclerosis.
The effects of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) on region-specific brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS) are unclear. ⋯ DMT-H treatment may be associated with slower rates of subcortical GM atrophy, especially of the thalamus and putamen. Thalamic and putaminal volumes are promising imaging biomarkers in MS.
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Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of two soluble biomarkers, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL), have been shown to associate with multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression. Now, both biomarkers can be detected reliably in serum, and importantly, their serum levels correlate well with their CSF levels. ⋯ Earlier studies have demonstrated that GFAP, unlike NfL, is not increased in association with acute focal inflammation-related nervous system damage. Our work suggests that GFAP serum level associates with disease progression in MS and could potentially serve as an easily measurable biomarker of central nervous system (CNS) pathology related to disease progression in MS.
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Spinal cord (SC) affection is a hallmark symptom of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). Patients with aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG+) or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-IgG+) antibody seropositivity show this overlapping clinical phenotype. ⋯ AQP4-IgG+ patients had more myelitis attacks, SC lesions and SC atrophy was more pronounced than in MOG-IgG+ patients. MUCCA is associated with clinical myelitis attacks and disability in all NMOSD patients.
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Incidence and prevalence trends of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the Province of Padua, North-East Italy, suggest that environmental factors may be associated with increased MS risk. ⋯ In the Province of Padua, MS prevalence is strongly associated with PM2.5 exposure suggesting that air pollutants may be one of the possible environmental risk factors for MS.
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Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody disease is a rare autoimmune disorder with antibodies against the MOG predominantly involving the optic nerve and spinal cord leading to vision loss and paralysis. When MOG antibody disease involves the brain, the phenotype is similar to acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). In this review, we discuss MOG-positive cases presenting with encephalitis, encephalopathy, or ADEM-like presentation based on recently published series.