Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To characterize the serum cytokine profile in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) at onset and during follow-up and assess their utility for predicting relapses and disability. METHODS: This retrospective multicentric cohort study included patients aged 16 years and older meeting MOGAD 2023 criteria, with serum samples collected at baseline (≤3 months from disease onset) and follow-up (≥6 months from the baseline), and age-matched and time to sampling-matched patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Eleven cytokines were assessed using the ELLA system. Data comparisons and statistical analyses between cytokine levels and clinical outcomes were performed. RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients with MOGAD and 32 patients with MS were included. Patients with MOGAD showed higher IL6 (p = 0.036), IL8 (p = 0.012), and IL18 (p = 0.026) baseline levels compared with those with MS, in non-optic neuritis (ON) presentations. BAFF values increased over time, especially in patients with MOGAD treated with anti-CD20 (p = 0.002). Baseline BAFF, CXCL10, IL10, and IL8 levels correlated with disease severity at MOGAD onset (all p < 0.05). Finally, higher baseline BAFF levels predicted lower risk of relapses (hazard ratio 0.41 [0.19; 0.89], p = 0.024). DISCUSSION: This study suggests a proinflammatory Th17-dominant profile in non-ON MOGAD patients, with a novel finding of a potential protective role of BAFF on relapses. These results shed new light on the pathogenesis of MOGAD, potentially guiding therapeutic decisions.