Diseases associated antibodies anti-MOG and double seronegative NMOsd during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interim analysis of a cohort study.
Roberto Rodríguez-Rivas1, Leonardo Aguilar-González2, Verónica Rivas-Alonso1, Jose Flores-Rivera1, Teresita Corona Vazquez3
1Clínica de Enfermedades Desmielinizantes, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía. Manuel Velazco Suárez., 2Laboratory of Neuroinflammatory diseases, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía. Manuel Velazco Suárez, 3Jefatura de estudios de posgrado., Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Objective:
To describe the clinical and demographic findings of patients from the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery anti-MOG validation cohort tested for anti-MOG and anti-AQP4.
Background:
Anti-MOG associated diseases (MOGAD) include demyelinating disease phenotypes such as optic neuritis, longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, Neuromyelitis Optica syndrome (NMOsd) among others. In our country, the incidence of this pathology is unknown, mainly due to the lack of diagnostic tools.
Design/Methods:
As part of the cohort of the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Mexico, for the validation of a MOG CBA-assay, anti-AQP4 and MOG antibody tests were requested from those patients who met the Jarius 2018 criteria for MOGAD. Measurements of central tendency are made for each group and we analyze the MOG+ and double seronegative groups with Fisher's exact and Mann Whitney.
Results:
Eighteen patients were analyzed. Seven patients were MOG+, 62% women. The mean age for patients with MOG was 40 years. Presentation was 100% atypical optic neuritis. The anterior segment was more affected in 42% of the patients. Five (71.4%) patients had a deficit >200/100, 3 of them improved to 20/40 regardless of whether or not they received plasmapheresis (X2 0.833 p=0.361). Post-vaccination possibility was documented in 57%. There were no significant differences between patients with different sero-status. Four patients are maintained with Rituximab support treatment.
Conclusions:
MOG+ patients were mostly women, despite a severe initial deficit, an adequate visual recovery was documented regardless of the plasmapheresis time. A larger number of patients are required to perform a pairwise comparison with those with AQP4+.