[The progress of research on the immune pathogenesis and biomarkers in optic neuritis related to neuromyelitis optica]

The idiopathic optic neuritis (ION) which is related to neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) is called optic neuritis related to neuromyelitis optica (NMO-ON). Because of the high rates of blindness, disability and fatality of NMO, the heterogeneous clinical presentation, severity of neurologic disability following relapses, and variability of therapeutic responses, reliable and sensitive biomarkers for onset, relapse, and progression in NMO are urgently needed. Currently, detecting aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibodies (AQP4-IgG or NMO-IgG) in serum is employed as the major supporting approach for the diagnosis of seropositive NMO, however, AQP4-IgG seronegativity in 10% to 25% of NMO patients suggests that there are several other factors involved in NMO immunopathogenesis. Collaborative international studies hold great promise for establishing and validating biomarkers of NMO. This article discusses known and potential biomarkers for NMO. The biomarkers of NMO maybe the potential biomarkers of NMO-ON, for ION is the initial presentation and the earliest stage.与视神经脊髓炎（NMO）或NMO谱系疾病（NMOSD）相关的特发性视神经炎称为NMO相关视神经炎（NMO-ON）。NMO-ON具有高致盲率，NMO具有较高的致残率和病死率，因此发现NMO的生物学标志物尤为重要。目前，临床主要靠检测血清中水通道蛋白4抗体（AQP4-IgG或NMO-IgG）辅助诊断血清反应阳性的NMO或NMOSD，而仍有部分AQP4-IgG血清阴性的NMO或NMOSD患者无法依其作出诊断。国际上有关NMO生物学标志物的研究很多，本文对其进行归纳和总结，以期增强临床对该病的认识，提高相关诊疗水平。