IgG marker of optic-spinal multiple sclerosis binds to the aquaporin-4 water channel
2005 ◽
Vol 202
(4)
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pp. 473-477
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Keyword(s):
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease that selectively affects optic nerves and spinal cord. It is considered a severe variant of multiple sclerosis (MS), and frequently is misdiagnosed as MS, but prognosis and optimal treatments differ. A serum immunoglobulin G autoantibody (NMO-IgG) serves as a specific marker for NMO. Here we show that NMO-IgG binds selectively to the aquaporin-4 water channel, a component of the dystroglycan protein complex located in astrocytic foot processes at the blood-brain barrier. NMO may represent the first example of a novel class of autoimmune channelopathy.
2008 ◽
Vol 66
(1)
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pp. 120-138
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2007 ◽
Vol 13
(7)
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pp. 850-855
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2020 ◽