Serum OX40 Level in Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica

Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS), disturbing spinal cord and optic nerves specified by the presence of pathogenic serum autoantibodies against aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in the majority of patients . The role of T-cell is ambiguous. OX40 (CD134) is member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family and is expressed selectively on activated T lymphocytes which increases in several autoimmune diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate serum OX40 levels in patients with NMO.
The study involved 19 patients with NMO and 19 controls. Serum OX40 levels were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Findings: The present study showed no significant different between OX40 levels in the serum of patients with NMO compared with controls (P = 0.378). Serum level of OX40 in women were lower than men (P = 0.470). In addition, we found that median serum OX40 levels in AQP4 Ab-serpositive were higher than seronegative NMO patient but was not statistically significant (P = 0.410).
Serum OX40 levels could not be used as a diagnostic or treatment marker for NMO.