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Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder in Central America and the Caribbean: A Multinational Clinical Characterization Study

Authors :
Fernando Gracia
Deyanira Ramírez
Alexander Parajeles-Vindas
Alejandro Díaz
Amado Díaz de la Fé
Nicia Eunice Ramírez Sánchez
Romy Castro Escobar
Luis Alberto García Valle
Roberto Weiser
Biany Santos
Awilda Candelario
Aron Benzadon
Pahola Araujo
Carlos Valderrama
Mario Larreategui
Gabriela Carrillo
Karla Gracia
Johana Vázquez-Céspedes
Priscilla Monterrey-Alvarez
Kenneth Carazo-Céspedes
Alfredo Sanabria-Castro
Gustavo Miranda-Loria
Andrea Balmaceda-Meza
Ligia Ibeth Portillo Rivera
Irma Olivera Leal
Luis Cesar Rodriguez Salinas
Arnold Thompson
Ericka López Torres
Daniel Enrique Pereira
Carolina Zepeda
César Abdón López
Ernesto Arturo Cornejo Valse
Karla Zinica Corea Urbina
Marco Antonio Urrutia
Ivonne Van Sijtveld
Blas Armien
Victor M. Rivera
Source :
Neurology International, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 284-293 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2022.

Abstract

Here, a study of NMOSD in Central America and the Caribbean with a multinational collaborative, multicentric and descriptive approach involving 25 institutions from 9 countries is presented. Demographics, clinical manifestations, expanded disability scale status (EDSS), brain and spinal cord MRI, serological anti-AQP4-IgG and anti-MOG-IgG antibodies, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) oligoclonal bands were included. A central serological repository utilized the cell-based assay. The specimens outside of this network employed diverse methodologies. Data were collected at the Gorgas Commemorative Institute of Health Studies (ICGES), Panama, and included 186 subjects, of which 84% were females (sex ratio of 5.6:1). Mestizos constituted 72% of the study group. The median age was 42.5 years (IQR: 32.0–52.0). Associated autoimmune diseases (8.1%) were myasthenia gravis, Sjögren’s syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus. The most common manifestation was optic neuritis-transverse myelitis (42.5%). A relapsing course was described in 72.3% of cases. EDSS scores of 0–3.5 were reported in 57.2% of cases and higher than 7.0 in 14.5%. Positive anti-AQP4-IgG antibody occurred in 59.8% and anti-MOG-IgG antibody in 11.5% of individuals. Antibody testing was lacking for 13.4% of patients. The estimated crude prevalence of NMOSD from Panama and the Dominican Republic was 1.62/100,000 (incidence of 0.08–0.41) and 0.73/100,000 (incidence 0.02–0.14), respectively. This multinational study contributes additional insights and data on the understanding of NMOSD in this Latin American region.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20358377
Volume :
14
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Neurology International
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.0df03924ea45445587d9333661897939
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/neurolint14010023