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Visual outcome of aquaporin-4 antibody-positive optic neuritis with maintenance therapy

  • Clinical Investigation
  • Published:
Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the effect of maintenance therapy on visual outcomes in preventing recurrences one year after first onset in patients with aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4Ab)-positive optic neuritis.

Study design

Retrospective study.

Methods

The medical charts of 56 patients with optic neuritis (22 with AQP4Ab-positive and 34 with AQP4Ab-negative) at Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics, including visual acuity and number of recurrences one year after first onset, were compared among patients who were AQP4Ab-positivie with and those without maintenance therapy such as oral prednisolone and azathioprine, as well as those who were AQP4Ab-negative.

Results

The mean ages were 49.3 and 45.2 years in the AQP4Ab-positive and the AQP4Ab-negative groups. The female to male ratio was 21:1 and 18:16 in the two groups, respectively. Multiple between-group comparison showed a statistically significant difference in visual acuity one year after first onset between the AQP4Ab-positive without maintenance therapy group and the AQP4Ab-negative group (0.05 (median, same applies below) vs. 1.0, p < 0.01). There was also a statistically significant difference in the number of recurrences in the year after first onset between the AQP4Ab-positive with and without maintenance therapy groups (1 vs. 0, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that patients with AQP4Ab-positive optic neuritis without maintenance therapy had the poorest visual acuity and the most recurrences one year after first onset. These results indicate that reducing the number of recurrences with maintenance therapy could improve the visual outcomes in patients with AQP4Ab-positive optic neuritis.

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Acknowledgements

The authors were motivated to delineate the clinical characteristics of patients with AQP4Ab-positive optic neuritis after the case reports published by Takagi et al. [14] Although Dr. Takagi passed away in December 2012, his report contributed much to this study. We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.com) for English language editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Integrated Human Brain Science, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Asahimachi-dori 1-757, Chuo-ku, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan

    Satoshi Ueki & Hironaka Igarashi

  2. Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan

    Satoshi Ueki, Tetsuhisa Hatase, Megumi Kiyokawa & Takeo Fukuchi

  3. Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan

    Izumi Kawachi, Etsuji Saji & Osamu Onodera

  4. Comprehensive Medical Education Center, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Japan

    Izumi Kawachi

Authors
  1. Satoshi Ueki
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  2. Tetsuhisa Hatase
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  3. Megumi Kiyokawa
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  4. Izumi Kawachi
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  5. Etsuji Saji
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  6. Osamu Onodera
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  7. Takeo Fukuchi
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  8. Hironaka Igarashi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satoshi Ueki.

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Conflicts of interest

S. Ueki, None; T. Hatase, None; M. Kiyokawa, None; I. Kawachi, None; E. Saji, None; O. Onodera, None; T. Fukuchi, None; H. Igarashi, None.

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Corresponding Author: Satoshi Ueki

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Ueki, S., Hatase, T., Kiyokawa, M. et al. Visual outcome of aquaporin-4 antibody-positive optic neuritis with maintenance therapy. Jpn J Ophthalmol 65, 699–703 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-021-00858-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-021-00858-0

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