Distinct Inflammatory Profiles and Clinical Characteristics of NMOSD: A Comparative Analysis with NMOSD-like and Encephalitis-like MOG-AD

To better differentiate neuromyelitis
optica spectrum
disorder
(NMOSD) from myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated
disease (MOGAD), it is crucial to systematically explore the correlation
between their clinical and immunological characteristics. Utilizing
high-throughput protein detection technologies, we analyzed 92 inflammation-related
proteins in plasma samples from NMOSD (n = 50), NMOSD-like
MOGAD (n = 12), and encephalitis-like MOGAD (n = 8) groups. In this study, we found that seizures (2%
vs 30%, p < 0.001) and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis
(0% vs 30%, p < 0.001) were more common in MOGAD,
while transverse myelitis (52% vs 5%, p < 0.001)
was more common in NMOSD. The signs and symptoms of NMOSD-like and
encephalitis-like MOGAD were largely similar. There were no significant
differentially expressed proteins identified between the NMOSD group
and the NMOSD-like MOGAD group, while the elevated IL-24 and TRANCE
were in the encephalitis-like MOGAD group rather than in the NMOSD
group. There was a positive correlation of CCL20 expression with EDSS
scores in the NMOSD group, while this association was not found in
the other groups. In conclusion, encephalitis-like MOGAD has distinct
clinical and peripheral inflammatory protein characteristics compared
to NMOSD and NMOSD-like MOGAD. Some differential IRPs are closely
associated with specific clinical parameters.