Successful treatment of a woman with relapsing neuromyelitis optica by interferon beta.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an antibody-mediated disease with the target antigen being the water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4). More than 90% of NMO patients have relapse. Optimal treatments to prevent recurrence have not been established. Previous reports suggest that interferon beta (IFNB) has not been effective in NMO. However, we present a case of NMO with positive anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)(27-38) IgG and anti-AQP4 IgG treated with IFNB-1a successfully. The effect of IFNB on NMO and the role of anti-MOG antibodies in NMO deserve further study.