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Male patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: different clinical characteristics and worse steroid treatment response

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Abstract

Background

Clinical data on male neuromyelitis optica spectrum (NMO) patients remain limited to date.

Objective

To analyze clinical characteristics, therapeutic responses, and outcomes in Chinese male NMOSD patients.

Methods

We retrospectively assessed clinical, demographic, treatment, and outcome data of male patients with NMOSD.

Results

We identified 52 male patients among 471 NMOSD patients. Male patients had more frequent optic neuritis (ON) attacks and less frequent myelitis than female patients. No-remission rates of high-dose intravenous steroid therapy were higher in male patients than in female patients.

Conclusion

Male NMOSD patients had different clinical characteristics and worse response to high-dose intravenous steroid therapy than female patients.

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank Editage for the English language editing service.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 81771300, 81971140, and 81901229), Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (grant numbers 2017A030313853 and 2015A030310149), Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (grant number 2019A1515010297), and Guangzhou Science and Technology Plan Project (grant number 201904010444).

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Author notes

  1. Rui Li and Cong Li contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong Province, China

    Rui Li, Cong Li, Yaqing Shu, Yanyu Chang, Jingqi Wang, Yuge Wang & Wei Qiu

  2. KingMed College of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

    Zhifeng Mao

  3. The Second People’s Hospital of Zhaoqing, Zhaoqing, China

    Qiao Huang

Authors
  1. Rui Li
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  2. Cong Li
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  3. Zhifeng Mao
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  4. Qiao Huang
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  9. Wei Qiu
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Correspondence to Wei Qiu.

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The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The Ethics Committee of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University approved this study. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient.

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Li, R., Li, C., Mao, Z. et al. Male patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: different clinical characteristics and worse steroid treatment response. Neurol Sci 42, 3267–3274 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04933-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04933-1

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