Table 1.
Demographics and baseline clinical characteristics.
| Characteristic | Total (N = 37) | AQP4-IgG-positive (N = 27) | Seronegative (N = 10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age at disease onset (years), mean (SD) | 39 (14) | 42 (13) | 32 (13) |
| Age at rituximab initiation (years), mean (SD) | 42 (13) | 45 (12) | 35 (13) |
| Female, N (%) | 32 (86%) | 26 (96%) | 6 (60%) |
| Other autoimmune disease, N (%) | 13 (35%) | 12 (44%) | 1 (10%) |
| Location of clinical attacks pre-rituximab, N (%) | |||
| Optic neuritis | 27 (73%) | 18 (66%) | 9 (90%) |
| Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis | 21 (57%) | 14 (52%) | 7 (70%) |
| Area postrema | 6 (16%) | 5 (19%) | 1 (10%) |
| Other brainstem lesion | 3 (8%) | 2 (7%) | 1 (10%) |
| Short segment transverse myelitis | 4 (11%) | 3 (11%) | 1 (10%) |
| Other therapies received pre-rituximab, N (%) | |||
| Azathioprine | 6 (16%) | 4 (15%) | 2 (20%) |
| Methotrexate | 3 (8%) | 2 (7%) | 1 (10%) |
| Mycophenolate | 2 (5%) | 1 (4%) | 1 (10%) |
| Other a | 5 (14%) | 3 (11%) | 2 (20%) |
| Other therapies received during rituximab treatment, N (%) | |||
| Azathioprine | 5 (14%) | 4 (15%) | 1 (10%) |
| Methotrexate | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mycophenolate | 4 (11%) | 3 (11%) | 1 (10%) |
| Disease duration at rituximab initiation (months), median (IQR) | 19 (4–85) | 20 (4–68) | 8 (4–84) |
| Duration of follow up after rituximab initiation (months), median (IQR) | 54 (29–89) | 59 (34–95) | 39 (19–62) |
| Number of rituximab infusions, median (IQR) | 10 (6–14) | 10 (6–14) | 6 (4–14) |
a
Other includes interferon beta-1a, glatiramer acetate and natalizumab.