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The natural history of primary progressive MS in British Columbia, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) has a distinct clinical phenotype and has historically been understudied with few longitudinal natural history studies spanning a reasonable time period. The authors examined patient characteristics, disease progression, and associated risk factors in the PP population of British Columbia, Canada. METHOD: The authors report on the PP population from an upcoming publication of the natural history study of definite MS in British Columbia, Canada. The main outcome was sustained progression to Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 6, secondary outcome time to EDSS 8. Risk factors for progression included sex, onset age, onset symptoms, and for time to EDSS 8, time to EDSS 6. RESULTS: Of the 2,837 patients with definite MS in the original study, 352 (12.4%) had PPMS. Mean disease duration was 17.2 years (0.3 to 49.6 years), mean onset age was 40.1 years (SD 11.5), and 53% (187) were female. One-quarter of the population had reached EDSS 6 after 7.3 years from onset, yet another 25% still did not require a cane after 25 years. Sex, onset age, and onset symptoms did not predict progression (p > 0.05). A shorter time to EDSS 6 predicted a shorter time to EDSS 8 (p < 0.0005). DISCUSSION: Progression of disability was slower than found in previous primary progressive multiple sclerosis natural history studies. However, considerable variation existed, with few predictors, other than "sooner to cane, sooner to wheelchair."

Adult↗

Diagnostic criteria for primary progressive multiple sclerosis: a position paper.

The unique clinical characteristics of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) pose particular diagnostic difficulties, both in excluding other causes of progressive syndromes and in confirming the diagnosis of MS, which is not adequately addressed by current diagnostic criteria. This article presents new diagnostic criteria developed by a group of investigators on the basis of a review of their considerable experience with PPMS. (We conclude that at least 1 year of clinical progression must be documented before a diagnosis of PPMS is made.) Three levels of diagnostic certainty have been defined-definite, probable, and possible--based on clinical findings, abnormal cerebrospinal fluid, abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spinal cord, and evoked potentials. In definite PPMS, evidence of intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulin G together with one of the following three MRI criteria is required: (1) nine brain lesions, (2) two spinal cord lesions, or (3) four to eight brain lesions and one spinal cord lesion. Preliminary testing of these criteria was carried out on a cohort of 156 patients participating in a European natural history study of PPMS: 64% fulfilled the criteria for definite PPMS, 35% for probable PPMS, and only 1% for possible PPMS. These criteria now require prospective validation in a cohort of newly diagnosed patients and by postmortem examination.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

Metabolite changes in normal-appearing gray and white matter are linked with disability in early primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Abnormalities in normal-appearing brain tissues may contribute to disability in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), where few lesions are seen on conventional imaging. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the mechanisms underlying disease progression in the early phase of PPMS by measuring metabolite concentrations in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and cortical gray matter (CGM) and to assess their relationship with clinical outcomes. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital. Patients Forty-three consecutive patients within 5 years of onset of PPMS and 44 healthy control subjects. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Concentrations of choline-containing compounds, phosphocreatine, myo-inositol, total N-acetyl-aspartate (tNAA), and glutamate-glutamine were estimated using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging. Brain parenchymal, white matter and gray matter fractions and proton density and gadolinium-enhancing lesion loads were calculated. The Expanded Disability Status Scale and Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite scores were recorded. RESULTS: In CGM, concentrations of the tNAA (P<.001) and glutamate-glutamine (P = .005) were lower in patients with PPMS than in controls. In NAWM, myo-inositol levels were higher (P = .002) and tNAA levels were lower (P = .005) in patients with PPMS than in controls. The Expanded Disability Status Scale score correlated with the tNAA concentration in CGM (r = -0.44; P = .03) and with myo-inositol (r = 0.41; P = .01) and glutamate-glutamine concentrations (r = 0.41; P = .01) in NAWM. Proton density lesion load correlated negatively with CGM tNAA concentration and positively with NAWM myo-inositol concentration. CONCLUSION: Metabolite changes, which differ in CGM and NAWM, occur in early PPMS and are linked with disability.

Adult↗

Cost-utility analysis of interferon beta-1b in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: Interferon beta-1b has recently become available for the treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). This study aims at estimating the cost-effectiveness of this new treatment that has been shown in a clinical trial to reduce the progression of the disease. Effectiveness is measured as the number of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained from the reduction in progression. Because the clinical trial period will only capture part of the treatment's effect in terms of QALYs gained, since benefits achieved during the trial will have an effect beyond it, the cost-effectiveness analysis involves modeling over the longer term using complementary data. METHODS: A Markov model with states based on disability expressed by EDSS scores was used. Transition probabilities were calculated directly from clinical trial data for the first 3 years and then extrapolated to 10 years. Mean costs and utilities for each Markov state were calculated from a population-based cross-sectional study in Sweden. RESULTS: The incremental cost per QALY is SEK 342,700 (US $39,250; US $1 = SEK 8.73, March 10, 2000) when all costs (direct, informal care, and indirect) are included (discounted 3%). When indirect costs are excluded, the cost per QALY is SEK 542,000 ($62,100). CONCLUSIONS: Cost-effectiveness analysis in SPMS requires that the effect of treatment beyond clinical trials be included. Also, analysis should be done from a societal perspective, since many of the costs occur outside the healthcare system. The cost-utility ratios estimated in this analysis are at or below the mean threshold value indicated in a recent survey of health economists ($60,000).

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Dystonia in a 13-year-old boy with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

We report a patient who developed relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) at 8 years old, and then had a progressive clinical course and dystonia. Dystonia of the patient is probably due to a lesion of the basal ganglia. Abnormal posture or movement disorder is very rarely found in MS, and progressive clinical course is also rare in childhood. The patient is worthy of attention because of his childhood onset, progressive clinical course and dystonia.

Adolescent↗

Interferon beta 1a for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

This non-systematic review identified four randomised trials that have tested the efficacy of interferon beta in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). Two were trials of interferon beta 1a (IFNb1a) and two of interferon beta 1b (IFNb1b). All have shown significant reductions in relapse rates and accumulation of new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions, but only one trial (of IFNb1b) showed significant slowing of disability progression. Post hoc analyses of these trials suggest that the differences in outcomes might be partly explained by the differences between the trials in the proportions of patients with relapsing disease. In one of the trials of IFNb1a (the SPECTRIMS trial), the hazard ratio for progression in the treated relapsing patients with relapses in the two pre-study years was 0.74 compared to placebo patients with pre-study relapses and 1.01 in the treated patients compared to the placebo patients without pre-study relapses. In the same trial, the treatment effects on MRI parameters were more marked in the patients who had recent pre-study relapses compared with those who had not. These observations have led to the recommendation in national guidelines that prescribing of IFNb in SPMS be limited to those patients who have had disabling relapses in the last 2 years. These conclusions should be reviewed when the full results of all four trials have been published.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Intravenous immunoglobulin in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: randomised placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Several double-blind placebo-controlled trials of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis have shown beneficial effects of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) on relapse rate and disability. The European Study on Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Multiple Sclerosis set out to test IVIG in the secondary progressive phase of the disease. METHODS: 318 patients with clinically definite secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (mean age 44 years [SD 7]) were randomly assigned IVIG 1 g/kg per month (n=159) or an equivalent volume of placebo (albumin 0.1%; n=159) for 27 months. After baseline investigation, clinical assessments were made every 3 months and MRI was repeated after 12 months and 24 months. The primary outcome was confirmed worsening of disability as defined by the time to first confirmed progression on the expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Analyses were by intention to treat. FINDINGS: 19 patients in the IVIG group and 39 in the placebo group terminated study treatment prematurely but were included in the analyses. IVIG treatment had no beneficial effect on time to confirmed EDSS progression (hazard ratio 1.11 [95% CI 0.80-1.53] for IVIG versus placebo). The annual relapse rate was 0.46 in both groups. No significant differences between the treatment groups were found in any of the other clinical outcome measures or in the change of T2-lesion load over time. The treatment was generally well tolerated, although deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or both occurred in seven patients with risk factors for thromboembolism (IVIG six, placebo one). INTERPRETATION: Treatment with IVIG in this study did not show any clinical benefit and therefore cannot be recommended for patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Adult↗

CTLA4 exon 1 dimorphism is associated with primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

The cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) is an important modifier of T-cell activation with down-regulatory properties upon B7 engagement. We investigated the association of the CTLA4 A/G dimorphism in exon 1 (+49) with disease susceptibility, disease course and severity. No differences in the allelic distribution of the G(49) allele between multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and the control group was found. However, the G(49) allele occurred in a significant higher percentage of patients with primary progressive MS compared to patients with bout onset of disease. The results suggest that dysregulation of CTLA4-driven down-regulation of T-cell function due a genetic dimorphism in exon 1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of different MS disease subtypes.

Abatacept↗

Primary progressive multiple sclerosis: a 5-year clinical and MR study.

Longitudinal imaging studies of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) have shown significant changes in MR measures over 1 to 2 years. Correlation with clinical change over the same period has not been evident; we investigated the possibility that this is because the period of observation was insufficient for these associations to become apparent. Forty-one patients with PPMS were followed prospectively for 5 years. Patients had clinical [Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite Measure (MSFC)] and MRI assessment (brain and spinal cord) at baseline, 1, 2 and 5 years. At 5 years, significant deterioration was seen in all clinical and MRI measures (P<0.01, P<0.001 respectively). Associations were seen between increase in EDSS score and decrease in cord area (r=0.31, P<0.05) and between increase in MSFC and both rate of ventricular enlargement (r=0.31, P<0.05) and increase in T2 load (r=0.31, P<0.05). The rates of change of MR measures were not associated with age or disease duration and were more consistent within than between patients. Longer duration of follow-up demonstrates modest associations between change in clinical and MR measures and provides new insights into the pattern of change within and between individuals with PPMS.

Brain↗

The presence of glutamic acid at positions 71 or 74 in pocket 4 of the HLA-DRbeta1 chain is associated with the clinical course of multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PP-MS) differs from relapsing-remitting or secondary progressive MS (RR/SP-MS) in ways suggesting differences in the pathogenic pathways. Susceptibility to both PP-MS and RR/SP-MS is linked to carriage of the HLA molecule DRB1*1501. Several serologically defined HLA-DR groups (DR1, DR4, DR6, and DR9) occur less often in RR/SP-MS than in controls. Some or all of the HLA-DR molecules encoded by alleles in these serologically defined groups have a negatively charged glutamic acid at residue 71 or 74 of the beta1 chain (beta1(71)/beta1(74)). Residues at these positions are important in the formation of pocket 4 in the antigen binding site of the HLA-DR molecule. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the presence of alleles encoding HLA-DR molecules containing glutamic acid at beta1(71)/beta1(74) correlates with the course of MS. METHODS: HLA-DR and HLA-DQ alleles and genotypes were analysed in 121 MS patients (50 with PP-MS) and 109 controls by molecular typing. RESULTS: Alleles encoding HLA-DR molecules containing a glutamic acid at beta1(71)/beta1(74) occurred less often in patients with RR/SP-MS than in those with PP-MS or controls. In subjects not carrying the DRB1*1501 allele, a much higher proportion of PP-MS patients carried alleles encoding HLA-DR molecules containing a glutamic acid at beta1(71)/beta1(74) than did RR/SP-MS patients or controls. CONCLUSIONS: The amino acid residues involved in determining the shape and charge of pocket 4 of the HLA-DR beta1 chain could influence the clinical course of MS by determining protection against RR/SP-MS or susceptibility to the development of PP-MS.

Alleles↗

TNFalpha production by CD4(+) T cells predicts long-term increase in lesion load on MRI in MS.

Reliable laboratory prognostic factors for MS are still lacking. The predictive value of markers of T-cell activation for long-term disease progression was investigated. Flow cytometry measurements were correlated to changes in Expanded Disability Status Scale and MR T2 lesion load over 36 months in 14 patients with secondary progressive MS. A correlation was found between the percentage of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-producing CD4(+) T cells at baseline and the change in T2 lesion load during 3-year follow-up (r = 0.79, adjusted r(2) = 0.59, p = 0.001).

Adult↗

[Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis in childhood--interferon beta 1b treatment].

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is rare in children and the efficacy and safety of interferon beta 1b (IFN-beta 1b) treatment in childhood MS has not yet been established. We started to treat a boy who suffered from relapsing remitting MS with IFN-beta 1b at 8.5 years of age, because he had severe neurological disability in consequence of frequent relapses and incomplete remission. After initiating IFN-beta 1b treatment, his clinical course moved to secondary progressive (SP) MS, and he demonstrated poor improvement in degenerative progression and his disability continued to worsen. We could speculate that IFN-beta 1b was not effective regarding the degenerative component of childhood MS as in that of adult MS. SPMS is extremely rare in children, and this case would provide a very important implication to predict the tolerability of IFN-beta 1b treatment depending on the type of clinical course in childhood MS.

Child↗

Functional response to active and passive ankle movements with clinical correlations in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) activate a more diffuse cortical network than do healthy subjects when they perform motor tasks. This brain functional reorganisation might contribute to the limiting of disability, but it is unclear whether there is a loss of regional activation in more advanced disease. The aim of this study was to assess whether functional reorganisation diminishes in more disabled patients with primary progressive (PP) MS. The differences in the fMRI response to active and passive movements of the dominant ankle of 13 patients and 16 controls were assessed. The relationships between functional activation and disability and brain lesion load and atrophy were investigated.Patients showed greater fMRI activation than controls with passive movements in the superior temporal gyrus, rolandic operculum, and putamen. The fMRI response to active and passive movements in the ipsilateral inferior frontal gyrus was lower in patients with greater disability and greater brain T2 lesion load, respectively. Furthermore, the fMRI activation with active movements in the contralateral cerebellum was lower in patients with worse mobility. The increased activity with passive movements in regions that participate in sensori-motor integration, such as the putamen, reflects true functional reorganisation, since passive movements induce brain activation through sensory afferents only. The inverse correlation between the fMRI response in regions that are associated with motor control, and clinical or MRI measures of disease progression, suggests that there is a loss of distributed activation in more disabled patients. This may inform future treatment strategies.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Short-term accrual of gray matter pathology in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis: an in vivo study using diffusion tensor MRI.

The mechanisms underlying the progressive course of multiple sclerosis (MS) are not fully understood yet. Since diffusion tensor (DT) MRI can provide quantitative estimates of both MRI-visible and MRI-occult brain damage related to MS, the present study investigated the value of DT MRI-derived measures for the assessment of the short-term accumulation of white and gray matter (GM) pathology in patients with primary progressive (PP) and secondary progressive (SP) MS. Fifty-four patients with PPMS and 22 with SPMS were studied at baseline and after a mean follow-up of 15 months. Dual-echo, T1-weighted, and DT MRI scans of the brain were acquired on both occasions. Total lesion volumes (TLV) and percentage brain volume changes (PBVC) were computed. Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) maps of the normal-appearing white (NAWM) and gray matter (NAGM) were produced, and histogram analysis was performed. In both patient groups, a significant increase of average lesion MD (P = 0.01) and of average NAGM MD (P = 0.007) was found at follow-up. No significant differences between PPMS and SPMS patient groups were found for the on-study changes of any MRI-derived measure. No significant correlations were found between the percentage changes of DT MRI-derived measures and those of TLV and PBVC. No significant changes of DT MRI-derived measures were observed in age-matched healthy controls over the same study period. Over a 1-year period of follow-up, DT MRI can detect tissue changes beyond the resolution of conventional MRI in the NAGM of patients with progressive MS. The accumulation of DT MRI-detectable gray matter damage does not seem to merely depend upon the concomitant increase of T2-visible lesion load and the reduction of brain volume. These observations suggest that progressive NAGM damage might yet be an additional factor leading to the accumulation of disability in progressive MS.

Adult↗