Neuromyelitis optica is an MS-like variant associated with antibody-mediated damage and the presence of optic nerve and spinal cord lesions, which does not appear to respond to beta interferon. People with NMO also get brain lesions. (Long Y, Chen M, Zhang B, Gao C, Zheng Y, Xie L, Gao Q, Yin J.
Brain gadolinium enhancement along the ventricular and leptomeningeal regions in patients with aquaporin-4 antibodies in cerebral spinal fluid. J Neuroimmunol. 2014 Feb [Epub ahead of print]).
Although many NMOers have antibodies reactive to astrocytes (Aquaporin 4 water channel is on astrocytes) some have antibodies against MOG. These anti-MOG antibodies can be shown to bad news in Mice (click here), indicating there is an autoimmune component. Likewise, MSers can also have damaging antibodies in their circulation also suggesting an autoimmune component.