Clinical risk factors for recurrence in adult-onset myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated optic neuritis.

BACKGROUND

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated optic neuritis (MOG-ON) is a subtype of demyelinating optic neuritis (ON) characterized by a considerable risk of relapse; however, the demographic and clinical factors associated with recurrence remain poorly defined, posing ongoing challenges for patient management.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on adult-onset MOG-ON patients diagnosed in the Ophthalmology Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital (PLAGH) from January 2019 to January 2024. Patients were divided into two groups based on their experience of a relapse course: the relapsing group and the monophasic group. Multivariate analysis was performed to examine the effects of various clinical factors on the risk of recurrence.

RESULTS

Among 126 screened participants, 56 were excluded. A total of 70 patients (median [IQR] age at onset, 35.50 [30.00, 48.75] years; 46 females [65.71%]) were included. During a median follow-up of 31.50 (IQR 21.25-52.75) months, disease relapse occurred in 54.29% (38/70) of patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that being female significantly elevated recurrence risk (hazard ratio [HR] 3.92, 95% CI 1.63-9.42, p = 0.002), while administration of immunosuppressive maintenance therapy after the first episode was associated with a lower likelihood of recurrence (HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.10-0.87, p = 0.026). At the final follow-up, the relapsing group had significantly worse visual outcomes compared with the monophasic group (median [IQR] VA, 0.40 [0.16-0.82] logMAR vs. 0.22 [0.10-0.40] logMAR; p = 0.012).

CONCLUSION

In adult-onset MOG-ON, female sex is associated with an increased risk of recurrence, whereas early maintenance immunosuppressive therapy is associated with a lower recurrence risk. Furthermore, patients with a relapsing disease course exhibit poorer visual outcomes at follow-up compared with those with a monophasic course.