Antibodies to MOG are transient in childhood acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

Neurology. 2011 Aug 9;77(6):580-8. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318228c0b1. Epub 2011 Jul 27.

Abstract

Objective: To study the longitudinal dynamics of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) autoantibodies in childhood demyelinating diseases.

Methods: We addressed the kinetics of anti-MOG immunoglobulins in a prospective study comprising 77 pediatric patients. This was supplemented by a cross-sectional study analyzing 126 pediatric patients with acute demyelination and 62 adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). MOG-transfected cells were used for detection of antibodies by flow cytometry.

Results: Twenty-five children who were anti-MOG immunoglobulin (Ig) positive at disease onset were followed for up to 5 years. Anti-MOG antibodies rapidly and continuously declined in all 16 monophasic patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and in one patient with clinically isolated syndrome. In contrast, in 6 of 8 patients (75%) eventually diagnosed with childhood MS, the antibodies to MOG persisted with fluctuations showing a second increase during an observation period of up to 5 years. Antibodies to MOG were mainly IgG 1 and their binding was largely blocked by pathogenic anti-MOG antibodies derived from a spontaneous animal model of autoimmune encephalitis. The cross-sectional part of our study elaborated that anti-MOG Ig was present in about 25% of children with acute demyelination, but in none of the pediatric or adult controls. Sera from 4/62 (6%) adult patients with MS had anti-MOG IgG at low levels.

Conclusions: The persistence or disappearance of antibodies to MOG may have prognostic relevance for acute childhood demyelination.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Autoantibodies / analysis*
  • Binding, Competitive
  • Cell Line
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated / immunology*
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / analysis
  • Immunoglobulins / analysis
  • Infant
  • Kinetics
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Multiple Sclerosis / immunology
  • Multiple Sclerosis / metabolism
  • Myelin Proteins
  • Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein / immunology*
  • Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein
  • Prospective Studies
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulins
  • MOG protein, human
  • Myelin Proteins
  • Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein
  • Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein