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Observational Study
. 2020 Aug 15:415:116881.
doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.116881. Epub 2020 May 7.

Seasonal distribution of attacks in aquaporin-4 antibody disease and myelin-oligodendrocyte antibody disease

Giordani Rodrigues Dos Passos  1 , Liene Elsone  2 , Sebastian Luppe  3 , Joanna Kitley  1 , Silvia Messina  1 , Pedro María Rodríguez Cruz  1 , Katharine Harding  3 , Kerry Mutch  2 , Maria Isabel Leite  1 , Neil Robertson  3 , Anu Jacob  2 , Jacqueline Palace  4
Affiliations
Observational Study

Seasonal distribution of attacks in aquaporin-4 antibody disease and myelin-oligodendrocyte antibody disease

Giordani Rodrigues Dos Passos et al. J Neurol Sci. .

Abstract

Background: Seasonal variation in incidence and exacerbations has been reported for neuroinflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). It is unknown whether seasonality also influences aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-Ab) disease and myelin-oligodendrocyte antibody (MOG-Ab) disease.

Objective: We examined the seasonal distribution of attacks in AQP4-Ab disease and MOG-Ab disease.

Methods: Observational study using data prospectively recorded from three cohorts in the United Kingdom.

Results: There was no clear seasonal variation in AQP4-Ab or MOG-Ab attacks for either the onset attack nor subsequent relapses. In both groups, the proportion of attacks manifesting with each of the main phenotypes (optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, ADEM/ADEM-like) appeared stable across the year. This study is the first to examine seasonal distribution of MOG-Ab attacks and the largest in AQP4-Ab disease so far.

Conclusion: Lack of seasonal distribution in AQP4-Ab and MOG-Ab disease may argue against environment factors playing a role in the aetiopathogenesis of these conditions.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest Dr. dos Passos reports scholarships from the European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS, World Federation of Neurology and Novartis; funding for research from Biogen, Novartis and Roche; travel grants from Merck, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme and Teva; fees for editorial content from Bayer, Merck Serono and Roche; and compensation for advisory work from Biogen. Dr. Elsone reports honorarium from Teva for developing an educational material. Dr. Luppe has nothing to disclose with regards to this study. Dr. Kitley reports she was supported by the NHS National Specialised Commissioning Group for Neuromyelitis Optica and has received travel grants from Biogen Idec, Novartis, Biogen, Roche, Merck and Teva, speaker honoraria from Novartis, Merck, Sanofi Genzyme and Terumo BCT and consultancy fees from Roche, Sanofi Genzyme and Merck. Dr. Messina reports travel grants from Biogen, Novartis, Bayer, Merck, Almirall and honorarium for advisory work from Biogen. Dr. Rodríguez Cruz has nothing to disclose with regards to this study. Dr. Harding reports research funding from the MS Society of Canada and Novartis UK, speaker honoraria from Biogen and Merck, and support to attend educational meetings from Novartis. Dr. Mutch has nothing to disclose with regards to this study. Dr. Leite reports funding from NHS National Specialised Commissioning Group for Neuromyelitis optica, UK, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, UK; and speaker honoraria or travel grants from Biogen Idec, Novartis, and the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation. Dr. Robertson reports support for scientific meetings and/or honorariums for lectures or advisory work from Biogen Idec, Celgene, Novartis, Roche, Genzyme and CSL Behring; and grants from MS Society, Welcome Trust, NIHR, Novartis and Genzyme; he provides a regional service for patients with MS funded by Welsh Assembly Government. Dr. Jacob reports compensation for advisory board, consulting, meeting attendance and speaking from Biogen, Terumo-BCT, Genentech, Shire and Chugai Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Palace is partly funded by highly specialised services to run a national congenital myasthenia service and a neuromyelitis optica service. She has received support for scientific meetings and honorariums for advisory work from Merck Serono, Biogen Idec, Novartis, Teva, Chugai Pharma and Bayer Schering, Alexion, Roche, Genzyme, MedImmune, EuroImmun, MedDay, Abide and ARGENX, and grants from Merck Serono, Novartis, Biogen Idec, Teva, Abide, VielaBio and Bayer Schering. She has received grants from the MS Society, Guthy-Jackson Foundation, NIHR, Oxford Health Services Research Committee, EDEN, MRC, GMSI, and John Fell for research studies.

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