Patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) exhibit increased expression of CD226 on type 1 T regulatory (Tr1) cells, according to a study published in Brain And Behavior. The CD226 levels on Tr1 cells also tended to correlate with NMOSD severity and the expression levels would decrease following treatment with methylprednisolone and rituximab. CD226 is…
Researchers demonstrated the long-term effectiveness of immunosuppressants in preventing relapse in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and published their results in the European Journal of Neurology. They found significantly reduced relapse rates for up to 5 years of immunosuppressant treatment. However, a 77.5% rate of relapse after immunosuppressant withdrawal was also observed, and patients with…
Researchers explored the association between thrombotic events and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), a common occurrence in patients with cold agglutinin disease (CAD). They found thromboses in these patients to be associated with intravascular hemolysis, multitreatment, the need for transfusions, and infections, as published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. “Recent epidemiologic studies found a…
Discontinuation of disease-modifying treatment (DMT) leads to a progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) and a worsening in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores, according to a study published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. Patients with relapsing-remitting MS were followed for 5 years during the study and DMT adherence and outcomes were monitored. Over the…
Treatment with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who were previously treated with rituximab, alemtuzumab, or cladribine resulted in similar frequencies of adverse events as patients who previously received other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), according to a new study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, & Psychiatry. The researchers…
Researchers reported a case of cold agglutinin disease (CAD) occurring secondary to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection that was treated with eculizumab and published their findings in BMJ Case Reports. They showed that the eculizumab therapy quasi-resolved the hemolysis, but ultimately the patient died of the COVID-19 infection. “Secondary CAD can be related to hematological or infectious…
Constipation may worsen neuropathic pain in patients diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD), according to results obtained from an online patient survey published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. The researchers noted a possible link between constipation severity and increased neuropathic pain in their clinical practice. They…
An appropriate molecular diagnosis of inborn errors of immunity, including cold agglutinin disease (CAD), directly impacts the prognosis while also allowing the use of novel target therapies, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Immunology. These potential therapies can correct abnormal functioning of the typical immune responses in these diseases. The team of…
Pediatric patients receiving liver transplants for disorders such as Alagille syndrome (ALGS) had increased risks of developing post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) if they became seropositive for the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) after their transplant, according to a new study published in Pediatric Transplantation. The development of primary EBV infection in pediatric patients following liver transplant increased…
A team of researchers reported the case of a patient with longitudinal extensive myelitis (LETM) associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) and published their findings in Neuroimmunology Reports. LETM is a demyelination lesion in the cervical section of the spine that extends through 3 or more vertebrae. It is most commonly associated with neuromyelitis optica…
