Cerebrospinal Fluid Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein And Interleukin 6 In Patients With Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders

Objective: To detect the cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) and interleukin 6(IL-6) levels in patients with acute neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders(NMOSDs) and non-NMOSDs, as well as in patients with seropositivity for anti-aquaporin-4(AQP4) Ig G antibody and in anti-APQ4-Ig G-negative patients with NMOSDs, Morever, to investigate whether CSF GFAP and IL-6 can be used as biomackers for NMOSDs. Methods: All 103 patients come from the neurology of guiyang medical university affiliated hospital in August 2012 to October 2014 hospitalization, which a total of 34 cases of NMOSDs [neuromyelitis optica(NMO), n=19; bilateral optic neuritis(BON), n=8; longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis(LETM), n=5; brainstem encephalitis, n=2] and non NMOSDs diseases in 69 cases[(multiple sclerosis(MS), n=23; idiopathic optic neuritis, n=6; idiopathic myelitis, n=6; Guillain-Barre syndrome, n=9; idiopathic encephalitis, n=10; other non-inflammatory neurological diseases(ONNDs), n=15]. Cell-based assay was used to detect all patients serum anti aquaporin 4(AQP4)-Ig G antibody;CSF GFAP and IL-6 of all patients were measured by ELISA. Results: 19 patients in 34 NMOSDs group with positive anti AQP4-Ig G antibody, patients in non-NMOSDs group were not detect the antibody. CSF GFAP levels in NMOSDs group was 4.53(0.71, 12.24)ng/ml, which was higher than non NMOSDs group [0.68(0.43, 0.88)ng/ml ](P<0.01). CSF of GFAP levels in NMOSDs group was higher than MS, i-ON, i-Myelitis, Guillain-Barre, i-Encephalitis, ONNDs group(P<0.05). CSF IL-6 average levels of NMOSDs patients was 23.70(12.11, 58.71) pg/ml which was higher than non NMOSDs group [8.04(5.68, 21.26)ng/ml](P<0.01). CSF IL-6 average levels of NMOSDs patients was higher than i-ON, Guillain-Barre syndrome, ONNDs group(P<0.05), and it was no significant statisticdifferences between NMOSDs and MS, i-Myelitis, i-Encephalitis(P>0.05). In patients with NMOSDs, anti-APQ4-Ig G-positive was significant associated with CSF GFAP levels(P<0.05), there were no significant statistic differences between anti-APQ4-Ig G-positive patients and anti-APQ4-Ig G-negitive patients involved IL-6(P>0.05). Conclusion: The CSF GFAP levels could be the diagnostic markers for NMOSDs in the acute stage. It may be a correlation between the GFAP levels and seropositively for anti-AQP4 Ig G antibody. The CSF IL-6 couldn’t be the diagnostic markers for NMOSDs in the acute stage. It may not be a correlation between the CSF GFAP levels and seropositively for anti-AQP4 Ig G antibody.