New clinical implications of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies in children with CNS demyelinating diseases

Acquired demyelinating CNS syndromes include a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes and different entities can overlap. Therefore, differential diagnosis is still challenging. A humoral immune reaction against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) is present in a subgroup of these patients, particularly in children. Anti-MOG antibodies indicate a non-multiple sclerosis disease course. Indeed, early publications have suggested that anti-MOG antibodies argue for a monophasic course; recently an association with a high risk for recurrent non-MS disease has been shown. According new data, antibody analysis was included in a diagnostic algorithm for the diagnosis of acquired demyelinating CNS syndromes in children. Here, recent data from the implementation of anti-MOG antibodies in daily clinical practice are reviewed.