Masoud Etemadifar; Ahmad Chitsaz; Sahebeh Rajabkhah; Hossein Tavakoli; Arezoo Shafieyoun; Pegah Noorshargh; Mahdieh Afzali
Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the status of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies in patients with transverse myelitis (TM) and compare the clinical and imaging characteristics of MOG immunoglobulin G (IgG)-positive with negative cases. Methods: This cohort study ...
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Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the status of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies in patients with transverse myelitis (TM) and compare the clinical and imaging characteristics of MOG immunoglobulin G (IgG)-positive with negative cases. Methods: This cohort study enrolled 71 patients diagnosed with new-onset of TM who were being followed at a referral university clinic in Isfahan, Iran, from November 2016 to January 2019. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images and blood samples for anti-MOG, anti-aquaporin 4 (anti-AQP4) (using the cell-based technique), and vasculitis-related antibodies were collected from patients. Outcomes were assessed by the evolution of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score and brain and spinal cord imaging findings within three months. All patients underwent imaging and clinical assessment during a mean period of one year as a follow-up. We compared the characteristics of clinical and radiological outcomes in MOG-IgG-positive and negative cases. Results: Of the total population studied, there were 26.8% men and 73.2% women, with a mean age of 33 ± 10 years. 12 (16.9%) patients were seropositive for MOG antibody and 17 (89.5%) were positive for anti-AQP4 antibodies. There was no significant association between anti-MOG antibody seropositivity and age, gender distribution, the presence of other autoimmune diseases, and number and interval of relapses. However, the involvement site of the spine at first imaging was significantly different between seronegative and seropositive patients. Conclusion: In patients with MOG antibody disease (MOG-AD) TM, the MRI findings suggest a preferential involvement of the cervical-thoracic section in seropositive cases which may help differentiate from non-MOG demyelination TM.
Mehri Salari; Mahdi Barzegar; Masoud Etemadifar; Omid Mirmosayyeb
Volume 17, Issue 2 , April 2018, , Pages 71-77
Abstract
Background: Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, has been related with weight loss and energy balance. Some studies showed that leptin might be playing an important role in satiety, energy balance and immune response. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum ...
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Background: Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, has been related with weight loss and energy balance. Some studies showed that leptin might be playing an important role in satiety, energy balance and immune response. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum leptin level in patients with PD and its association with clinical severity.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 35 patients with PD and 51 healthy controls (HCs), matched for age, sex and body mass index (BMI), were recruited. Serum leptin level was measured and clinical characteristics and demographic data of patients were recorded.Results: The mean age of patients with PD and HCs were 59.80 ± 11.40 and 62.18 ± 11.60 years, respectively. Serum leptin concentration was not statistically different between patients with PD and HCs (21.1 ± 23.1 ng/ml vs 25.9 ± 21.8 ng/ml, P = 0.280). There was no relation between plasma level of leptin and clinical severity of patients with PD.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that serum level of leptin is neither implicated in the pathogenesis of PD, nor decreases as disease progresses.
Mehri Salari; Omid Mirmosayyeb; Masoud Etemadifar; Vahid Shaygannejad; Fariborz Khorvash; Mohammad Reza Najafi; Fereshteh Ashtari; Ahmad Chitsaz
Volume 17, Issue 1 , January 2018, , Pages 6-10
Abstract
Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Its worldwide incidence rate varies between 18 and 418 cases per 100000 annually. This cross-sectional study was carried out with the aim to identify the clinical characteristics and demographic features of a ...
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Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Its worldwide incidence rate varies between 18 and 418 cases per 100000 annually. This cross-sectional study was carried out with the aim to identify the clinical characteristics and demographic features of a huge number of patients with PD in Isfahan, Iran.Methods: The study was conducted on 987 patients with PD in Isfahan city and checklists were used to evaluate the demographic features and clinical characteristics of the patients.Results: The mean age of the patients at the time of sampling was 65.40 ± 11.90 years. The study results indicated that the rate of PD among men with 67.3% was twice that of women with 32.7%. The mean duration of the disease was 4.91 ± 4.60 years.Conclusion: This study showed a considerable rate of PD among the individuals in Isfahan city. In addition, the incidence ratio of men to women was more than the previous studies.
Mehri Salari; Ahmad Chitsaz; Masoud Etemadifar; Mohammad Reza Najafi; Omid Mirmosayyeb; Maryam Bemanalizadeh; Fatemeh Panahi; Hosna Mirzajani
Volume 16, Issue 3 , July 2017, , Pages 118-124
Abstract
Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is diagnosed on the basis of motor symptoms, but non-motor symptoms (NMS) have high prevalence in PD and often antecede motor symptoms for years and cause severe disability. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of NMS in patients with PD.Methods: ...
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Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is diagnosed on the basis of motor symptoms, but non-motor symptoms (NMS) have high prevalence in PD and often antecede motor symptoms for years and cause severe disability. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of NMS in patients with PD.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in Isfahan, Iran, on patients with PD. The prevalence of NMS was evaluated by the NMS questionnaire, the NMS scale, and Parkinson's disease questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39). The Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) was used for assessing cognition.Results: A total of 81 patients, including 60 men and 21 women, were recruited for this study. The prevalence of NMS was 100%, and the most commonly reported symptom was fatigue (87.7%); there was a strong correlation between NMS and the quality of life (QOL) of patients with PD (P < 0.001).Conclusion: This study showed that NMS are highly prevalent in the PD population and adversely affect QOL in these patients. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve QOL and can help in disability management of patients with PD.
