CXCL13 Level in Children with Acute and Relapsing Demyelinating Disorders of the Nervous system

Abstract

his observational case-control study was conducted in the period from June 2019 to December 2020 in the Pediatric Out Patient Clinic, the Pediatric Neurology Clinic, the Emergency department and In-Patient wards at the Children Hospital, Ain Shams University. The study was conducted on 20 patients diagnosed with acute acquired demyelinating disease (patient group), and 40 healthy age and gender matched children (control group). The aim of this study was to measure the level of CXCL13 in blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients diagnosed with acute central or peripheral demyelination and to correlate their levels with the patients’ clinical, radiological and laboratory profiles. Known cases of collagen disorders, vasculitis, chronic illness or other condition with similar clinical presentation to autoimmune neurological diseases were excluded Cases were subjected to full history taking and clinical examination. Lab tests included routine blood and CSF studies, with measurement of CSF and serum level of CXCL13. Further investigations, including MRI of brain and spine, Fundus examination, VEP, EEG and NCV studies, were tailored according to need based on patient’s presentation.