Anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (anti MOG) antibodies in Neuromyelitis optica patients

Abstract Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. It is associated with optic neuritis and concomitant acute myelitis. As the anti Aquaporine-4 antibodies (NMO-IgG) is routinely used for disease evaluation, other markers are being proposed for a better understanding of the disease. The aim of this study was to assess the status of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (anti MOG) antibodies in NMO patients and controls. 41 previously diagnosed NMO patients and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. Baseline demographic data, imaging features and disease characteristics were recorded from all patients. Disease characteristics were compared between different patient groups based on their NMO-IgG and anti MOG results. For anti MOG antibodies, 39 % of the patients and 13.3 % of the controls showed positive results (P = 0.01). There was no significant correlation between the disease longevity and anti MOG levels in patients (r= 0.29, P = 0.08). Also no significant difference was observed between the anti MOG results and EDSS status among patients (P = 0.58). Among the patients, 22% had positive results for NMO-IgG while 29.2% of them tested positive for anti MOG but negative for NMO-IgG. Regarding the MRI results, NMO-IgG positive patients had normal brain appearance and higher rates of longitudinally extended transverse myelitis along with less disease severity while positive anti MOG group included more patients with severe disease and less normal brain appearances; however these findings were not statistically significant. Anti MOG antibody levels are helpful for better categorization of NMO patients. Presence of anti-MOG in NMO patients may suggests a particular pattern of disease progression.