cerebrospinal fluid

Increase in Double-stranded DNA Found in NMOSD Brain Fluid

Levels of double-stranded DNA — dubbed dsDNA — are elevated in the fluid around the brain and spinal cord of people with severe neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a small study suggests. These levels, which indicate cellular damage, may trigger more inflammation in NMOSD patients, potentially contributing to the…

Levels of 3 Inflammatory Biomarkers Linked to Worse Disease in NMOSD

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have increased levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — of three inflammatory biomarkers, a new study shows. The elevated concentrations of these biomarkers — YKL-40, sCD163, and sCD14 — also…

No Astrocyte Damage Found in Patients Lacking Anti-AQP4 Antibodies

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), but lacking anti-AQP4 and anti-MOG antibodies, show no signs of damage to astrocytes — nervous system cells attacked in NMOSD — when compared to those with anti-AQP4 antibodies. Those findings from a recent study suggest that the mechanisms underlying NMOSD symptoms in…