Researchers investigated differences in clinical features and visual outcomes of patients with optic neuritis (ON) who were negative or positive for aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-Ab).

Study design

This retrospective cohort study included 57 patients with a first episode of inflammatory ON. Investigators compared the seropositive and seronegative groups' clinical features at onset and final visual outcomes at 6 months.

Outcomes

Patients in the seronegative group had fewer recurrences of ON than those in the seropositive group, but the difference was not significant (35% vs 58%, P = 0.14). The groups showed no differences in visual acuity at baseline or after 6 months. Poor vision during a first attack, however, was associated with worse vision at 6 months.

Limitations

The study was limited by its retrospective nature and relatively small sample size.

Clinical significance

The authors concluded that AQP4-Ab-positive patients showed no evidence of having poorer visual acuity than AQP4-Ab-negative participants at 6 months. However, the authors noted that patients with a lower visual acuity at baseline were more likely to have poorer vision at 6 months.