Clinical and Pathophysiological Analysis of Atypical Multiple Sclerosis

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26293205
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurology
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: FUJIHARA KAZUO 東北大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 非常勤講師 (70280873)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 多発性硬化症 / 非典型例 / 抗MOG抗体 / 視神経脊髄炎 / 脱髄疾患 / アストロサイトパチー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Some cases with multiple sclerosis (MS) are atypical, and they may include unique clinical entities which can be distinguishable from typical MS in terms of the clinical and pathophysiological findings. In the present study, we applied a highly-specific cell-based assay to detect myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies and clarified the unique clinical, MRI and pathological features and the therapeutic responses of the myelin antibody-positive cases which can be diagnosed with atypical MS. We also reported “MOG-antibody-positive, unilateral cerebral cortical encephalitis with epilepsy”, a new type of autoimmune encephalitis. Moreover, we found that the interplay between the tissue preconditioning to hypoxic stimuli and glial cell-derived cytokines associated with demyelination appears to contribute to the unique pathology of Balo’s concentric sclerosis.

Free Research Field

神経内科学