IgG Marker of Optic-spinal Multiple Sclerosis Binds to the Aquaporin-4 Water Channel

Overview

Journal J Exp Med

Specialties Allergy & Immunology
General Medicine

Date 2005 Aug 10

PMID 16087714

Citations 772

Authors

Vanda A Lennon

Thomas J Kryzer

Sean J Pittock

A S Verkman

Shannon R Hinson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease that selectively affects optic nerves and spinal cord. It is considered a severe variant of multiple sclerosis (MS), and frequently is misdiagnosed as MS, but prognosis and optimal treatments differ. A serum immunoglobulin G autoantibody (NMO-IgG) serves as a specific marker for NMO. Here we show that NMO-IgG binds selectively to the aquaporin-4 water channel, a component of the dystroglycan protein complex located in astrocytic foot processes at the blood-brain barrier. NMO may represent the first example of a novel class of autoimmune channelopathy.

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