Table 1

Comparison of demographic features according to the patients' AQP4-Ab serostatus.

Seropositive

Seronegative

p-level

Sex ratio (male:female)

All patients

1:10.4; N = 137

1:1.9; N = 38

p < 0.0003^‡

Patients meeting Wingerchuk's 2006

criteria

1:9.2; N = 92

1:2; N = 27

p < 0.006^‡

Age at onset (median, range; N)

All patients

40 (10-81; N = 137)

38.5 (14-67; N = 38)

n.s.^§

Patients meeting Wingerchuk's 2006

criteria

36 (10-79; N = 92)

37 (14-63; N = 27)

n.s.^§

Cases of death, attack-related

5/137 (3.6%)°

0/38 (0%)

n.s.^‡

°See results section for causes of death. Four additional patients died from non-attack related causes: One developed sepsis following plasma exchange; another patient with a history of autonomic dysfunction with bradycardia and recent femoral vein thrombosis died from cardiovascular failure 3 days after the second infusion with rituximab [80]; one patient died from voluntary refusal of nutrition and hydration after a severe attack of cervical myelitis that had left her tetraplegic; and one died from an accident. ^‡Fisher's exact test (2-tailed). ^§Mann Whitney U test. N = number of patients; n.s. = not significant.

Jarius et al. Journal of Neuroinflammation 2012 9:14   doi:10.1186/1742-2094-9-14