Seizures in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disorders and related immune factors

Epileptic seizures in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disorders (MOGAD) have been increasingly reported in the past two decades. However, the characteristics and possible mechanism largely remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and immune mechanism of epileptic seizures in children with MOGAD.

We conducted a retrospective single-center case-control study from February 2019 to February 2021. Clinical characteristics and immune parameters of enrolled patients with seizures (n = 12) in MOGAD (n = 32), as compared with the antibody-negative (n = 13) and control (n = 23) groups were then analyzed.

Seizures occurred in 24.5% (12/49, including cases that were not enrolled) of MOGAD. In this group, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities, especially unilateral cortical lesion and leptomeningeal enhancement, were more frequent in patients with seizures than in individuals without seizures (p < 0.05). Levels of thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) in the seizure+/MOG+ group were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those in the seizure-/MOG+ and control groups, whereas no significant differences as compared with the seizure+/MOG- group were observed. TPOAb level and brain MRI performance may be associated with disease course, since two cases with increased TPOAb and abnormal brain MRI were reported, after a second seizure attack occurred.

Unilateral cerebral cortical encephalitis and isolated seizures, especially in clusters and focal seizures, may be special phenotypes of seizures in MOG-AD. TPOAb may be associated with seizures in immune-related neurological diseases, but not a specific marker of MOGAD. Therefore, TPOAb may be considered but not strongly recommended to be monitored in MOGAD.