Editors' note: A multicenter comparison of MOG-IgG cell-based assays

Abstract

In “A multicenter comparison of MOG-IgG cell-based assays,” Waters et al. compared 3 myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein immunoglobulin G (MOG-IgG) cell-based assays (CBAs) from 3 international centers and found that the specificity was highest for the 2 live CBAs as compared to the fixed CBA (99.6% and 100% vs 98.1%). Furthermore, they reported that the positive predictive values (PPVs) were highest for the 2 live CBAs as compared to the fixed CBA (95.5% and 100% vs 82.1%). Budhram questions the value of these PPV calculations, noting that PPV is dependent on knowledge of disease prevalence, which is not always accurate in a case-control study, and clinician ordering practices. He recommends that clinicians be aware of the importance of appropriate patient selection when ordering MOG-IgG, particularly when using a fixed CBA. In “A multicenter comparison of MOG-IgG cell-based assays,” Waters et al. compared 3 myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein immunoglobulin G (MOG-IgG) cell-based assays (CBAs) from 3 international centers and found that the specificity was highest for the 2 live CBAs as compared to the fixed CBA (99.6% and 100% vs 98.1%). Furthermore, they reported that the positive predictive values (PPVs) were highest for the 2 live CBAs as compared to the fixed CBA (95.5% and 100% vs 82.1%). Budhram questions the value of these PPV calculations, noting that PPV is dependent on knowledge of disease prevalence, which is not always accurate in a case-control study, and clinician ordering practices. He recommends that clinicians be aware of the importance of appropriate patient selection when ordering MOG-IgG, particularly when using a fixed CBA.