Abstract
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The purpose of the study was to examine the association between the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met genotype and structural and functional optic nerve damage in the eyes of NMOSD patients. A total of 17 NMOSD subjects (34 eyes) were included in the study and were divided into subgroups based on optic neuritis (ON) history and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms. The mean (range) age was 47.8 (23–78) years, and the mean (SD) disease duration was 7.4 (2–39) years. All participants had undergone optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans for global retinal nerve fiber layer (gRNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness and multifocal visual evoked potential (mfVEP) test for amplitude and latency. BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms were genotyped in all participants. OCT and mfVEP changes were compared between two genotype groups (Met carriers vs. Val homozygotes) by using the generalised estimating equation (GEE) models. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was significantly associated with more severe nerve fiber layer damage and axonal loss in ON eyes of NMOSD subjects. Met carriers had more significantly reduced GCIPL (P = 0.002) and gRNFL (P < 0.001) thickness as well as more delayed mfVEP latency (P = 0.008) in ON eyes. No association was found between Val66Met variants and non-ON (NON)-eye of the participants. These findings suggest that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism may be associated with optic nerve damage caused by acute ON attacks in NMOSD patients.
Highlights
Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is an idiopathic, autoimmune and inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that occurs in individuals of all ethnicities
This finding together with the foveal thinning reported in NMO patients without optic neuritis (ON) history (Oertel et al, 2017; Yamamura and Nakashima, 2017), supports the concept of NMO to be a predominantly serum AQP4 IgG antibodymediated astrocytopathy [NMO spectrum disorder (NMOSD)] that is distinct from multiple sclerosis (MS) (Wingerchuk et al, 2015)
This study suggests that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism may be associated with more severe ON attacks in NMOSD patients
Summary
Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is an idiopathic, autoimmune and inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that occurs in individuals of all ethnicities. This finding together with the foveal thinning reported in NMO patients without optic neuritis (ON) history (Oertel et al, 2017; Yamamura and Nakashima, 2017), supports the concept of NMO to be a predominantly serum AQP4 IgG antibodymediated astrocytopathy [NMO spectrum disorder (NMOSD)] that is distinct from MS (Wingerchuk et al, 2015). Müller glial dysfunction has been reported in the eyes of seropositive AQP4-IgG NMOSD patients support a subclinical retinal astrocytopathy in the disease (You et al, 2019). MOG-antibody-positive NMOSD has been recently recognized as a possible new inflammatory disorder of the CNS (Jurynczyk et al, 2017), patients with positive MOGIgG were excluded in this study
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