Thrombolysis after dabigatran reversal: A nation-wide Italian multicentre study, systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Recent anticoagulant intake represents a contraindication for thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke. Idarucizumab reverses the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran, potentially allowing for thrombolysis. This nation-wide observational cohort study, systematic review, and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of thrombolysis preceded by dabigatran-reversal in people with acute ischemic stroke. Patients and methods: We recruited people undergoing thrombolysis following dabigatran-reversal at 17 stroke centers in Italy (reversal-group), people on dabigatran treated with thrombolysis without reversal (no-reversal group), and age, sex, hypertension, stroke severity, and reperfusion treatment-matched controls in 1:7 ratio (control-group). We compared groups for symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH, main outcome), any brain hemorrhage, good functional outcome (mRS 0-2 at 3 months), and death. The systematic review followed a predefined protocol (CRD42017060274), and odds ratio (OR) meta-analysis was implemented to compare groups. Results: Thirty-nine patients in dabigatran-reversal group and 300 matched controls were included. Reversal was associated with a non-significant increase in sICH (10.3% vs 6%, aOR = 1.32, 95% CI = 0.39-4.52), death (17.9% vs 10%, aOR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.12-4.93) and good functional outcome (64.1% vs 52.8%, aOR = 1.41, 95% CI = 0.63-3.19). No hemorrhagic events or deaths were registered in no-reversal group (n = 12). Pooling data from 3 studies after systematic review (n = 1879), reversal carried a non-significant trend for sICH (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 0.67-3.50), death (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 0.73-3.24) and good functional outcome (OR = 2.46, 95% CI = 0.85-7.16). Discussion and conclusion: People treated with reperfusion strategies after dabigatran reversal with idarucizumab seem to have a marginal increase in the risk of sICH but comparable functional recovery to matched patients with stroke. Further studies are needed to define treatment cost-effectiveness and potential thresholds in plasma dabigatran concentration for reversal.

Exploratory Study on Chemosensory Event-Related Potentials in Long COVID-19 and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Common Pathway?

People affected by the Long COVID-19 (LC) syndrome often show clinical manifestations that are similar to those observed in patients with mild cognitive impairments (MCI), such as olfactory dysfunction (OD), brain fog, and cognitive and attentional diseases. This study aimed to investigate the chemosensory-evoked related potentials (CSERP) in LC and MCI to understand if there is a common pathway for the similarity of symptoms associated with these disorders. Eighteen LC patients (mean age 53; s.d. = 7), 12 patients diagnosed with MCI (mean age 67; s.d. = 6), and 10 healthy control subjects (mean age 66; s.d. = 5, 7) were recruited for this exploratory study. All of them performed a chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERP) task with the administration of trigeminal stimulations (e.g., the odorants cinnamaldehyde and eucalyptus). Study results highlighted that MCI and LC showed reduced N1 amplitude, particularly in the left frontoparietal network, involved in working memory and attentional deficits, and a reduction of P3 latency in LC. This study lays the foundations for evaluating aspects of LC as a process that could trigger long-term functional alterations, and CSERPs could be considered valid biomarkers for assessing the progress of OD and an indicator of other impairments (e.g., attentional and cognitive impairments), as they occur in MCI.

Internuclear Ophthalmoplegia as an Isolated Symptom of Brainstem Wake-up Stroke Responsive to Intravenous Thrombolysis: Evidence from MRI.

BACKGROUND: Internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO) is a disorder of eye movements caused by a lesion involving the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) within the brainstem, and it is characterized by adduction impairment combined with contralateral dissociated abduction nystagmus. The frequency of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) presenting with INO as a predominant symptom is very low, and many patients suffering from this brainstem AIS are precluded from intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). OBJECTIVE: To provide for the first time a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of response to the IVT in brainstem wake-up stroke presenting with INO as an isolated symptom. METHODS: Here, we described a rare case of pons AIS presenting with INO as a unique symptom of awakening. In order to differentiate an ischemic stroke from other stroke mimics, and to determine whether the patient was within the therapeutic window for IVT (wake-up stroke), brain MRI including DWI and FLAIR sequences was acquired. RESULTS: A left paramedian pontine DWI/FLAIR mismatch was detected and the patient was considered eligible for IVT. After IVT, the patient made a full recovery with complete resolution of INO. Follow-up MRI at 1 month demonstrates the absence of ischemic lesions. CONCLUSION: Our case provides neuroradiological evidence of IVT efficacy in brainstem stroke, and it should prompt clinicians to rapidly perform MRI in wake-up onset INO and to just as quickly administer IVT, since INO is a functionally disabling deficit. Finally, this case demonstrates the value of MRI in diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic workup of posterior circulation wake-up stroke.

Recurrent Miller-Fisher syndrome overlapping Guillain-Barrè syndrome and Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis: A case report.

Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS) together with Guillan-Barré syndrome (GBS) and Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis (BBE) are considered to form a continuous clinical spectrum of the same disease, possibly affecting the peripheral and/or central nervous systems, with monophasic symptoms. The frequency of overlapping clinical signs and the risk of recurrence are independent and very low, but no cases of GQ1b-seropositive recurrent MFS overlapping with GBS and BBE have been described so far. Here, we describe for the first time an atypical case of recurrent GQ1b-seropositive MFS overlapping GBS and BBE, 12 years after a previous GQ1b-seronegative typical MFS episode. Our case expands the clinical spectrum of recurrent MFS, and it should prompt clinicians to investigate the presence of anti-ganglioside antibodies in recurrent MFS even when these were negative in the previous episode, especially in those presenting with overlapping spectrum symptoms and a critically ill picture during the second episode.

Potential Role of OERP as Early Marker of Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Olfactory impairment is present in up to 90% of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is present in certain cases of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a transient phase between normal aging and dementia. Subjects affected by MCI have a higher risk of developing dementia compared to the general population, and studies have found that olfactory deficits could be an indicator of whether such a conversion might happen. Following these assumptions, aim of this study was to investigate olfactory perception in MCI patients. We recruited 12 MCI subjects (mean age 70 ± 6.7 years) through the Alzheimer Assessment Unit (UVA Unite) of ASL Lecce (Italy), and 12 healthy geriatric volunteers (HS) as the control group (mean age 64 ± 6.0 years), all of whom were first evaluated via a panel of neuropsychological tests. Subjects were asked to perform an olfactory recognition task involving two scents: rose and eucalyptus, administrated in the context of an oddball task during EEG recordings. Olfactory event-related potential (OERP) components N1 and Late Positive Potential (LPC) were then analyzed as measures of the sensorial and perceptive aspects of the olfactory response, respectively. It was determined that, in the MCI group, both the N1 and LPC components were significantly different compared to those of the HS group during the execution of the oddball task. In particular, the N1 amplitude, was reduced, while the LPC amplitude was increased, indicating that a degree of perceptive compensation can occur when sensorial function is impaired. Further, a correlation analysis, involving OERP components and neuropsychological battery scores, indicated that impairment of olfactory perception may share common pathways with impairments of the spatial system and long-term memory processing.

[A case of Anderson-Fabry disease: a multidisciplinary approach for diagnosis and follow up].

Fabry disease (also known as Anderson-Fabry disease, angiocheratoma corporis diffusum, diffuse angiocheratoma) is a rare tesaurismosis linked to the deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme alpha-galactosidase A, required for the physiological catabolism of glycosphingolipids. The related clinical signs show a multisystemic feature and define a degenerative and disabling pathology, whose approach requires a close multidisciplinary specialist collaboration. Currently, the renewed interest in the disease is aimed at the need to provide an early diagnosis, in order to early begin the enzyme replacement therapy and to slow down or avoid the establishment of irreparable organ damage. For this reason, the diagnostic suspicion becomes crucial and arises from the careful observation and research of the symptoms, together with the anamnesis and the overall clinical evaluation of the patient.

Effects of rehabilitation treatment of the upper limb in multiple sclerosis patients and predictive value of neurophysiological measures.

BACKGROUND: Dysfunctions of the upper limbs occur in the 66% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. To date, no data, about the persistence of the effects of a rehabilitation treatment and no prognostic markers of functional improvement, have been established. AIM: The aim of this study was to define clinical data supporting the efficacy of a rehabilitation treatment in MS patients with upper limb impairment and to find prognostic factors for functional improvement. DESIGN: Pre-post comparison prospective study. SETTING: Two tertiary Italian MS centres: Rome and Siena. POPULATION: Twenty-five consecutive MS patients were tested for eligibility. METHODS: We multidimensionally evaluated 25 consecutive patients with MS-related upper limbs impairment through clinical objective, patient-oriented and neurophysiological measures pre and post a16-week rehabilitation treatment on upper limb sensorimotor function. RESULTS: We found a significant improvement in the Nine Hole Peg Test (9-HPT) at either sides, both at an immediate post-training visit (T1) (left: P=0.018, right: P=0.004) and at a 12-week postintervention assessment visit (T2) (left: P=0.033, right: P=0.022). We also found a positive correlation between the 12-week post-training changes in the 9-HPT and the N14-P20 interpeak of the somatosensory evoked potentials, (rho=0.374, P=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that a rehabilitation treatment can lead to an improvement of the upper limb motor performance in MS patients which continues to persist even after 3 months of treatment-discontinuation suggesting a possible role of rehabilitation in neuroplasticity changes. Moreover, we found, in the latency of the N14-P20 interpeak, a possible prognostic marker for the effects of a upper limb rehabilitation treatment in MS patients. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The N14-P20 interpeak could be used as a prognostic marker of the effects of rehabilitation of the upper limb.

Severe disability in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis is associated with profound changes in the regulation of leptin secretion.

OBJECTIVES: Experimental evidences indicate that leptin is involved in the neuroinflammatory process sustaining multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the relationship between leptin and body fat, as assessed by body mass index (BMI), in MS was not previously evaluated. It was the aim of this study to compare serum leptin levels between patients with MS and healthy controls and to evaluate the possible relationship between circulating leptin levels and disease severity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-four MS patients and 57 sex-matched healthy volunteers were enrolled. Serum leptin levels were measured in all patients and controls. MS patients were stratified in 3 groups according to their degree of disability as assessed by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Patients were classified as having low (33 patients with an EDSS score <1.5), intermediate (28 patients with an EDSS score from 2 to 3) and high disability (23 patients with an EDSS score ≥3.5). RESULTS: No significant differences in serum leptin levels and BMI were observed between patients and controls. In patients with MS, serum leptin levels were significantly correlated with BMI in those patients with low (R(2) = 0.363; p < 0.001) and intermediate disability (R(2) = 0.408; p < 0.001), but not in patients with a higher disability score (R(2) = 0.064; p = 0.256). CONCLUSION: BMI, the major determinant of leptin level in physiological conditions, has a minor role in determining the serum levels of leptin in MS patients with a high EDSS score. Future longitudinal studies will be required in order to provide further insights into the regulation of leptin secretion in patients with MS.

Regulatory T cells fail to suppress CD4T+-bet+ T cells in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and a defect in the regulatory T-cell subset seems to be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Foxp3 is a transcription factor that is selectively expressed in CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells and is required for their development and function. T-bet is a key transcription factor for the development of T helper 1 (Th1) cells. We found that both the percentage of circulating CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ cells and Foxp3 expression were lower in relapsing-remitting (RR) MS patients during relapses than during remission. Otherwise, the percentage of CD4+ T-bet+ T cells and T-bet expression in CD4+ T cells were higher in relapsing than in remitting RRMS patients. CD4+ CD25+ T cells both from relapsing and from remitting RRMS patients showed significantly less capacity than corresponding cells from healthy subjects to suppress autologous CD4+ CD25(-) T-cell proliferation, despite a similar Foxp3 expression level. CD4+ CD25+ T cells from healthy subjects and patients in remission clearly reduced T-bet mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) in CD4+ CD25(-) T cells up to a ratio of 1:10, whereas CD4+ CD25+ T cells from patients in relapse were able to reduce T-bet expression only at a high ratio. Our data indicate that the increased number of regulatory T (T-reg) cells and the increased Foxp3 expression in circulating CD4+ CD25+ T cells may contribute to the maintenance of tolerance in the remission phase of MS. Moreover, the inhibitory capacity of CD4+ CD25+ T cells seems to be impaired in relapsing patients under inflammatory conditions, as shown by the high levels of T-bet expression in CD4+ T cells.

IL17 and IFNgamma production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from clinically isolated syndrome to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

We evaluated the spontaneous IL17, IFNgamma and IL10 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients affected by clinically isolated syndromes (CIS) suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS) both in acute phase and in remission, relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) both in relapse and in remission, not-relapsing secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and controls. We observed higher IL17 levels in CIS patients both in acute phase and in remission than in SPMS patients and controls. On the contrary no difference in IL17 production was observed among RRMS patients and CIS, SPMS patients and controls. IFNgamma levels were significantly higher in CIS patients in acute phase than in CIS and RRMS patients in remission, SPMS patients and controls. Moreover, we observed higher IFNgamma spontaneous production in relapsing RRMS patients than in remitting RRMS and SPMS patients and controls. IL10 levels were significantly higher in remitting CIS and in relapsing RRMS patients than in SPMS patients and controls. There was no difference in IFNgamma, IL10 and IL17 levels between SPMS patients and controls. Our data suggest that IL17 might play a crucial role mainly in the early phase of MS, while IFNgamma seems to be involved both in the early phase and in the following relapses of the disease.

Somatosensory evoked potentials reflect the upper limb motor performance in multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this multicentric study was to multidimensionally evaluate the relationship among somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) parameters, patient's perspective and clinical measures of the upper limb impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: We consecutively enrolled 39 MS patients. For median nerve SEPs we acquired the N9, P14, N20 responses and the N9-P14 and P14-N20 interpeak latencies on the dominant side. We also used a validated patient-oriented questionnaire (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand - DASH) and a test of dexterity quantification as the 9-Hole Peg Test (9-HPT). RESULTS: A significant longer time to complete the 9-HPT (p<0.00006) was observed in patients with abnormal SEPs. Patients with undetectable N20 or P14 responses performed the 9-HPT in a significant longer time than patients with detectable responses (p<0.0006 and p<0.001 respectively). Concerning the perspective of patient (evaluated with the DASH questionnaire) significant differences in patients with undetectable P14 response (p<0.01) were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide further information useful for interpretation of SEPs results, being the median nerve SEPs related to the upper limb performance in MS patients. SIGNIFICANCE: These data increase the significance of SEPs both in clinical practice and in experimental studies in MS.

The effect of disease activity on leptin, leptin receptor and suppressor of cytokine signalling-3 expression in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

In this study we observed higher serum leptin levels in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients during remission than in controls. The expression of leptin receptor (ObR) was higher in CD8+ T cells and monocytes from RRMS patients in relapse than in patients in remission and in controls. Relapsing patients showed high levels of pSTAT3 and low expression of SOCS3 and leptin administration induced an up-regulation of pSTAT3 only in monocytes from patients in relapse. Our data suggest that ObR may be involved in the development of clinical relapses in RRMS patients and suggest a rationale for potential targeting of the leptin axis during MS.

Glucocorticoid treatment reduces T-bet and pSTAT1 expression in mononuclear cells from relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis patients.

High dose glucocorticoid (GC) treatment has been demonstrated to have a short-term beneficial effect on functional recovery in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients but the exact mechanism of action of GCs in MS is unclear. We found that high dose intravenous GCs strongly reduced T-bet and pSTAT1 expression in CD4+, CD8+, CD14+ circulating cells in RRMS patients in relapse. pSTAT1and T-bet reduction was associated with the decline of IFNgamma production by PBMCs. A significant increase of AV-positive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was detectable after GC treatment without any variation in the percentage of annexin V-positive monocytes. By in vitro analysis, patients during relapse, either before or after GC treatment, exhibited a lower proportion of apoptotic lymphocytes than remitting patients and controls. Our study suggests that GCs can modulate T-bet and STAT1 expression and that IFNgamma signalling inhibition contributes to anti-inflammatory action of GCs in the treatment of relapses of MS patients.

A human anti-neuronal autoantibody against GABA B receptor induces experimental autoimmune agrypnia.

In the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with recurrent acute episodes of respiratory crises, autonomic symptoms and total insomnia (agrypnia), we identified a novel anti-neural complement fixing antibody directed against GABA(B) receptor (GABA(B)R). Patient purified IgG recognized a band of approximately 110 kDa on protein extracts of mouse cerebellum, cortex and brainstem and immunolabelled cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, transfected with human GABA(B)R1 and rat GABA(B)R2 receptors. Western blot analysis of transfected CHO homogenates showed the same band using both patient purified IgG and anti-GABA(B)R1 antibody. In order to verify the pathogenic role of these purified antibodies, we injected patient IgG intrathecally into cisterna magna of C57BL/6 mice pre-implanted with EEG electrodes and we observed severe ataxia followed by breathing depression and total suppression of slow wave sleep, as evidenced by EEG recording, in a dose-dependent manner. Immunohistochemistry on brain sections of mice injected with patient IgG showed the simultaneous presence of bound human IgG and C5b-9 deposits on Purkinje cells and cerebellar granular layer. After incubation with anti-GABA(B)R antibody, a marked reduction of receptor immunostaining was found with relative sparing of neuronal architecture. In conclusion we recognized an anti-neuronal autoantibody directed against GABA(B)R that is associated with autoimmune agrypnia and we showed that our patient purified IgG was able to induce in mice experimental autoimmune agrypnia characterized by a complex neurological syndrome affecting several CNS functions.

In vivo effects of mitoxantrone on the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis patients.

OBJECTIVE: Mitoxantrone is an antineoplastic agent also used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, despite its efficacy, few data are available on its mechanism of action. The current study was designed to evaluate the short-term (1 month) and long-term (12 months) in vivo effects of mitoxantrone on pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production by the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of secondary progressive MS patients. METHODS: Eighteen patients with secondary progressive MS underwent mitoxantrone therapy (at a dose of 12 mg/m(2) once every 3 months) over a 1-year period. Blood samples were obtained at baseline, after 1 month and after 12 months of treatment. The production of cytokines in the PBMC was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: There were no significant effects of mitoxantrone on proinflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL) 6 and IL-12p40] and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and transforming growth factor-beta) in our patients. Patients who showed no signs of therapeutic response were characterized by a higher basal PBMC production of IL-6 compared with that of the responding patients (p < 0.05) and mitoxantrone reduced this production after 12 months of treatment (p < 0.05). In the responding patients, IL-10 was significantly increased by mitoxantrone after 12 months of treatment (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings provide additional information useful in the selection of the patient population suitable for mitoxantrone treatment and suggest that most probably the therapeutic action of mitoxantrone in MS is not entirely mediated by its immunosuppressant effects.

pSTAT1, pSTAT3, and T-bet expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients correlates with disease activity.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, and it is considered to be a T helper 1 (Th1) cell-mediated autoimmune disease. T-bet has been identified as a key transcription factor for the development of Th1 cells and the induction of interferon (IFN)-gamma production. T-bet is induced during T-cell activation by the IFN-gamma signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-1 signalling pathway. In this study we found an up-regulation of T-bet and pSTAT1 in peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and monocytes from relapsing-remitting MS patients in relapse compared with patients in remission and with healthy subjects. The increased expression of pSTAT1 strongly correlated with T-bet expression in CD4+ and CD8+ cells and monocytes from patients in relapse and was associated with an increased production of IFN-gamma by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). pSTAT3 was also up-regulated in CD4+ and CD8+ cells and monocytes from patients in relapse and was associated with an increased production of interleukin (IL)-10 but not of IL-6. pSTAT1, pSTAT3, and T-bet expression strongly correlated with Gd-DTPA-enhanced lesions on brain and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging. Our data show for the first time that there is an up-regulation of type 1 immunity-correlated transcription factors such as STAT1 and T-bet in peripheral blood subpopulations of MS patients in the active phase of disease. The evaluation of T-bet and pSTAT1 expression in peripheral blood CD4+, CD8+ T cells and monocytes could be used as a marker of disease activity in relapsing-remitting MS.

Neurotrophic factors in relapsing remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis patients during interferon beta therapy.

Although interferon (IFN) beta is a widely used disease-modifying therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS), the mechanisms responsible for its effects are not fully understood. Some studies demonstrated that IFNbeta induces nerve growth factor (NGF) secretion by astrocytes and by brain endothelial cells. In this study, we determined the production of various neurotrophins (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF; NGF; glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor; neurotrophin 3; neurotrophin 4) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in relapsing-remitting (RR) and secondary progressive (SP) MS patients during IFNbeta treatment. There were no main variations in neurotrophin production either among all MS patients globally considered or in the group of SPMS subjects. Instead, in the group of RRMS patients who did not present clinical exacerbation of disease up to the end of the study, we found a significant increase in BDNF production as from 6 months after starting therapy.

Evidence of involvement of leptin and IL-6 peptides in the action of interferon-beta in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Leptin is a peptide hormone which acts on cells of immune system by influencing the production of cytokines. Serum leptin levels and cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were measured in 18 secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients under IFN-beta-1b treatment. There were no overall effects on leptin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10 and IL-12 p40 after 2, 6 and 12 months of treatment. However, leptin and IL-6 decreased after 6 and 12 months of treatment in 12 patients who did not show progression of disability. Thus, our pilot data show that the beneficial effect of IFN-beta on some SPMS patients might be associated with the reduced levels of leptin and reduced IL-6 production by PBMC.

Serum levels of anti-myelin antibodies in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients during different phases of disease activity and immunomodulatory therapy.

Antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte antigens have been found in the immunoreactive brain lesions of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients. Recently it has been proposed that these antibodies can be used as a prognostic marker in the course of disease. However, the serum levels of these autoantibodies during different phases of disease activity or after an immunomodulatory therapy have been poorly investigated. In this study the serum levels of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) (directed against the epitopes 1-26 and 15-40) and anti-myelin basic protein (MBP) antibodies were sequentially measured in the same MS patient either in relapse or remission phases. We found that MS patients in the relapse phase had higher serum anti-MOG (peptides 1-26 and 15-40) and anti-MBP antibody levels than controls. In addition, the levels of anti-MOG 1-26 were also elevated during the relapse as compared with the remission phase but no significant changes were found in the levels of anti-MOG 15-40 of anti-MBP antibodies. We also evaluated the effect of interferon-beta (beta) therapy on anti-myelin antibodies. 1-year of interferon-beta treatment did not induce any changes in the levels of anti-MOG and anti-MBP antibodies. In conclusion, these data indicate that the use of peripheral levels of autoantibodies against MOG and MBP as marker of multiple sclerosis might be complicated by the phase of disease activity and by the epitope of the MOG protein used.