About NMO
Neuromyelitis optica is a debilitating inflammatory disease that destroys the protective myelin sheath around the optic nerve and spinal cord. This ultimately leads to impaired vision -- including blindness -- impaired mobility and loss of bladder and bowel control. Its cause is unknown, and prognosis is generally poor -- though early diagnosis can help. If diagnosed correctly before the myelin sheath is too damaged, plasma exchange therapy and immunosuppressive medications such as azathioprine and corticosteroids can be effective in stopping the damage and restoring nerve function.
It's not clear how many people have NMO, though it's generally regarded as rare in the United States. However, one Mayo Clinic physician in Rochester has seen approximately 50 cases in the last three years, and an equal number of variants of NMO, such as recurrent transverse myelitis and recurrent optic neuritis. Ninety percent are women aged 30-60.
By some estimates, one of four African Americans diagnosed with MS may actually have NMO instead. NMO is considerably more common in Japan and Asia, where its prevalence is about three per 100,000 citizens. In Japan, roughly one-third of patients diagnosed with MS-like illness may actually have NMO.
Without the new blood test, classic NMO can only be distinguished from MS by the extensive spinal cord lesions it inflicts spanning three or more segments of the bony spine, and by lack of MS-type lesions found by magnetic resonance imaging of the brain.
About the Investigation
Blood samples were taken from patients in the United States and Japan and evaluated for the presence of a newly identified central-nervous system autoantibody. All antibodies are circulating proteins
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14-Dec-2004