TY - JOUR
T1 - Low-dose corticosteroids reduce relapses in neuromyelitis optica
T2 - A retrospective analysis
AU - Watanabe, S.
AU - Misu, T.
AU - Miyazawa, I.
AU - Nakashima, Ichiro
AU - Shiga, Y.
AU - Fujihara, Kazuo
AU - Itoyama, Y.
PY - 2007/9/1
Y1 - 2007/9/1
N2 - Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a relapsing neurologic disease characterized by severe optic neuritis and transverse myelitis. A disease-modifying therapy for NMO has not been established. We retrospectively analysed the effect of low-dose corticosteroid (CS) monotherapy on the annual relapse rate in nine patients with NMO. We divided the clinical course in each patient into two periods; the CS Period in which CS was administered, and the No CS Period in which CS was not administered. Periods related to other immunological therapies, such as high-dose methylprednisolone, immunosuppressants, interferon-beta, and plasma exchange, were excluded. As a result, the annual relapse rate during the CS Periods [median, 0.49 (range, 0-1.31)] was found to be significantly lower than that during the No CS Periods [1.48 (0.65-5.54)]. As for the dose of CS, relapses occurred significantly more frequently with '10 mg/day or less' than with 'over 10 mg/day' (odds ratio: 8.75). The results of the present study suggest a beneficial effect of low-dose CS monotherapy in reducing relapses in NMO.
AB - Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a relapsing neurologic disease characterized by severe optic neuritis and transverse myelitis. A disease-modifying therapy for NMO has not been established. We retrospectively analysed the effect of low-dose corticosteroid (CS) monotherapy on the annual relapse rate in nine patients with NMO. We divided the clinical course in each patient into two periods; the CS Period in which CS was administered, and the No CS Period in which CS was not administered. Periods related to other immunological therapies, such as high-dose methylprednisolone, immunosuppressants, interferon-beta, and plasma exchange, were excluded. As a result, the annual relapse rate during the CS Periods [median, 0.49 (range, 0-1.31)] was found to be significantly lower than that during the No CS Periods [1.48 (0.65-5.54)]. As for the dose of CS, relapses occurred significantly more frequently with '10 mg/day or less' than with 'over 10 mg/day' (odds ratio: 8.75). The results of the present study suggest a beneficial effect of low-dose CS monotherapy in reducing relapses in NMO.
KW - Autoantibody
KW - Corticosteroids
KW - Devic's disease
KW - Neuromyelitis optica
KW - Relapse
KW - Therapy
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U2 - 10.1177/1352458507077189
DO - 10.1177/1352458507077189
M3 - Article
C2 - 17623727
AN - SCOPUS:38449120510
VL - 13
SP - 968
EP - 974
JO - Multiple Sclerosis Journal
JF - Multiple Sclerosis Journal
SN - 1352-4585
IS - 8
ER -