tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Neurol
. 2022 Jun 23.
doi: 10.1007/s00415-022-11194-9. Online ahead of print.
MOG encephalomyelitis after vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2): case report and comprehensive review of the literature
S Jarius[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], N Bieber[SUP] 3 [/SUP], J Haas[SUP] 4 [/SUP], B Wildemann[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: In around 20% of cases, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) immunoglobulin (IgG)-associated encephalomyelitis (MOG-EM; also termed MOG antibody-associated disease, MOGAD) first occurs in a postinfectious or postvaccinal setting.
Objective: To report a case of MOG-EM with onset after vaccination with the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Comirnaty®) and to provide a comprehensive review of the epidemiological, clinical, radiological, electrophysiological and laboratory features as well as treatment outcomes of all published patients with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination-associated new-onset MOG-EM.
Methods: Case report and review of the literature.
Results: In our patient, MOG-IgG-positive (serum 1:1000, mainly IgG1 and IgG2; CSF 1:2; MOG-specific antibody index < 4) unilateral optic neuritis (ON) occurred 10 days after booster vaccination with BNT162b2, which had been preceded by two immunizations with the vector-based Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine ChAdOx1-S/ChAdOx1-nCoV-19 (AZD1222). High-dose steroid treatment with oral tapering resulted in complete recovery. Overall, 20 cases of SARS-CoV2 vaccination-associated MOG-EM were analysed (median age at onset 43.5 years, range 28-68; female to male ratio = 1:1.2). All cases occurred in adults and almost all after immunization with ChAdOx1-S/ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (median interval 13 days, range 7-32), mostly after the first dose. In 70% of patients, more than one CNS region (spinal cord, brainstem, supratentorial brain, optic nerve) was affected at onset, in contrast to a much lower rate in conventional MOG-EM in adults, in which isolated ON is predominant at onset and ADEM-like phenotypes are rare. The cerebrospinal fluid white cell count (WCC) exceeded 100 cells/μl in 5/14 (36%) patients with available data (median peak WCC 58 cells/μl in those with pleocytosis; range 6-720). Severe disease with tetraparesis, paraplegia, functional blindness, brainstem involvement and/or bladder/bowel dysfunction and a high lesion load was common, and treatment escalation with plasma exchange (N = 9) and/or prolonged IVMP therapy was required in 50% of cases. Complete or partial recovery was achieved in the majority of patients, but residual symptoms were significant in some. MOG-IgG remained detectable in 7/7 cases after 3 or 6 months.
Conclusions: MOG-EM with postvaccinal onset was mostly observed after vaccination with ChAdOx1-S/ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. Attack severity was often high at onset. Escalation of immunotherapy was frequently required. MOG-IgG persisted in the long term.
Keywords: AZD1222; BNT162b2; Brainstem encephalitis; ChAdOx1 nCoV-19; ChAdOx1-S; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019); Encephalitis; Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM); MOG antibodies (MOG-IgG); Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD); Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated encephalomyelitis (MOG-EM); Myelitis; Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders; Optic neuritis; Postvaccinal; Severe acut
. 2022 Jun 23.
doi: 10.1007/s00415-022-11194-9. Online ahead of print.
MOG encephalomyelitis after vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2): case report and comprehensive review of the literature
S Jarius[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], N Bieber[SUP] 3 [/SUP], J Haas[SUP] 4 [/SUP], B Wildemann[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35737110
- DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11194-9
Abstract
Background: In around 20% of cases, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) immunoglobulin (IgG)-associated encephalomyelitis (MOG-EM; also termed MOG antibody-associated disease, MOGAD) first occurs in a postinfectious or postvaccinal setting.
Objective: To report a case of MOG-EM with onset after vaccination with the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Comirnaty®) and to provide a comprehensive review of the epidemiological, clinical, radiological, electrophysiological and laboratory features as well as treatment outcomes of all published patients with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination-associated new-onset MOG-EM.
Methods: Case report and review of the literature.
Results: In our patient, MOG-IgG-positive (serum 1:1000, mainly IgG1 and IgG2; CSF 1:2; MOG-specific antibody index < 4) unilateral optic neuritis (ON) occurred 10 days after booster vaccination with BNT162b2, which had been preceded by two immunizations with the vector-based Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine ChAdOx1-S/ChAdOx1-nCoV-19 (AZD1222). High-dose steroid treatment with oral tapering resulted in complete recovery. Overall, 20 cases of SARS-CoV2 vaccination-associated MOG-EM were analysed (median age at onset 43.5 years, range 28-68; female to male ratio = 1:1.2). All cases occurred in adults and almost all after immunization with ChAdOx1-S/ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (median interval 13 days, range 7-32), mostly after the first dose. In 70% of patients, more than one CNS region (spinal cord, brainstem, supratentorial brain, optic nerve) was affected at onset, in contrast to a much lower rate in conventional MOG-EM in adults, in which isolated ON is predominant at onset and ADEM-like phenotypes are rare. The cerebrospinal fluid white cell count (WCC) exceeded 100 cells/μl in 5/14 (36%) patients with available data (median peak WCC 58 cells/μl in those with pleocytosis; range 6-720). Severe disease with tetraparesis, paraplegia, functional blindness, brainstem involvement and/or bladder/bowel dysfunction and a high lesion load was common, and treatment escalation with plasma exchange (N = 9) and/or prolonged IVMP therapy was required in 50% of cases. Complete or partial recovery was achieved in the majority of patients, but residual symptoms were significant in some. MOG-IgG remained detectable in 7/7 cases after 3 or 6 months.
Conclusions: MOG-EM with postvaccinal onset was mostly observed after vaccination with ChAdOx1-S/ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. Attack severity was often high at onset. Escalation of immunotherapy was frequently required. MOG-IgG persisted in the long term.
Keywords: AZD1222; BNT162b2; Brainstem encephalitis; ChAdOx1 nCoV-19; ChAdOx1-S; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019); Encephalitis; Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM); MOG antibodies (MOG-IgG); Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD); Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated encephalomyelitis (MOG-EM); Myelitis; Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders; Optic neuritis; Postvaccinal; Severe acut