Complete Relief of Painful Tonic Seizures in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder by Satralizumab Treatment

Pain in neuromyelitis optic spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND

Pain is a common symptom of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), but there are relatively few studies on NMOSD pain.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 145 patients with NMOSD admitted to our hospital between July 2016 and June 2019.

RESULTS

The clinical characteristics of pain and factors related to NMOSD were analyzed, revealing that the incidence of pain in NMOSD is high and can be used for disease localization.

CONCLUSION

Different types of pain occur at different stages of the disease, and serum aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-ab) positivity is an independent risk factor for NMOSD pain. Hormones and biological immune agents may also be effective in some cases.

Anti-IL-6 therapies in central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating diseases

Current treatments for central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory demyelinating diseases (IDDs) include corticosteroids, plasma exchange, intravenous immunoglobulin, and immunosuppressant drugs. However, some patients do not respond well to traditional therapies. In recent years, novel drugs, such as monoclonal antibodies, targeting the complement component C5, CD19 on B cells, and the interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor, have been used for the treatment of patients with refractory CNS IDDs. Among these, tocilizumab and satralizumab, humanized monoclonal antibodies against the IL-6 receptor, have shown beneficial effects in the treatment of this group of diseases. In this review, we summarize current research progress and prospects relating to anti-IL-6 therapies in CNS IDDs.