Table 2.
Clinical and demographic features of plasma specimens.
| Patient | Sex | Age at diagnosis [years] |
Diagnosis | Disease duration [years] |
Treatment | Length of treatment |
Disease state |
Spinal cord MRI* |
AQP-4 antibody |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | 49 | NMO spectrum | <1 | Rituximab | 3 months | remission | MRI>3seg | positive |
| 2 | F | 55 | NMO spectrum | <1 | Plasma exchange | 1 cycle | remission | MRI>3seg | positive |
| 3 | M | 24 | NMO spectrum | <1 | None | remission | MRI>3seg | negative | |
| 4 | M | 77 | NMO | <1 | Rituximab | 1 month | remission | MRI<3seg | positive |
| 5 | F | 59 | NMO | 1 | None | remission | MRI>3seg | positive | |
| 6 | F | 25 | NMO | 2 | Rituximab | twice yearly since 2009 | remission | MRI>3seg | positive |
*
MRI>3seg: MRI revealed contiguous spinal cords lesion greater than three vertebral segments. MRI<3seg: MRI revealed spinal cord lesions less than three vertebral segments.