Leptomeningeal and Intraparenchymal Blood Barrier Disruption in a MOG-IgG Positive Patient

Background. A serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibody specific for the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) is detected in the subgroup patients with inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). However, whether MOG-IgG contributes to blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment remains poorly characterized. Findings. We report a 30-year-old previously healthy female who presented with attacks on the optic nerves and a demyelinating spinal cord lesion, in which the blood–CNS barriers including leptomeningeal blood barrier and BBB were altered, as demonstrated by gadolinium-enhanced MRI during relapse. Blood samples taken at onset and four years later were retrospectively found positive for MOG-IgG. Conclusion. Our findings demonstrate that MRI-detected leptomeningeal enhancement occurs in MOG-IgG positive patients, accompanying intraparenchymal BBB breakdown during attack. The findings suggest that meningeal inflammation occurs following MOG-IgG-related parenchymal inflammation