scholarly journals High prevalence and indexes of anti-John Cunningham virus antibodies in a cohort of Chinese patients with multiple sclerosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 205521731878869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Lau ◽  
Wei Qiu ◽  
Allan Kermode ◽  
Cheryl Au ◽  
Angel Ng ◽  
...  

We performed a cross-sectional study in 123 Chinese multiple sclerosis patients residing in Hong Kong to evaluate their anti-John Cunningham virus status using STRATIFY JCV DxSelect assays. Anti-John Cunningham virus antibody was present in 98/123 (80%) subjects, among which 75/98 (77%) had an anti-John Cunningham virus index ≥1.5. Anti-John Cunningham virus antibody seropositivity was not correlated with age, disease duration, Expanded Disability Status Scale scores, types of multiple sclerosis (relapsing vs progressive), or disease-modifying treatments used. We found a very high seroprevalence and index of anti-John Cunningham virus antibodies in Chinese multiple sclerosis patients, which may impact the risk assessment and recommendation of disease-modifying treatments in this population.

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 527-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
C-H Chang ◽  
D Cella ◽  
O Fernández ◽  
G Luque ◽  
P de Castro ◽  
...  

Objective: The cross-sectional study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Functional Assessment of Multiple Sclerosis (FAMS) Spanish version and its use in measuring quality of life (QOL) of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Spain. Methods: The FAMS is a factorially derived self-report scale designed to assess six primary aspects of QOL of patients with MS: Mobility, Symptoms, Emotional Well-Being, General Contentment, Thinking and Fatigue, and Family/Social Well-Being. Its Spanish translated version was used to assess QOL of 625 MS patients recruited in an outpatient clinic setting from 58 hospitals in Spain. Internal consistency of the Spanish FAMS was evaluated. Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify significant predictors from demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics, and Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores in predicting FAMS scale scores. Results: Most of the patients are females (66%), and 74% were of the relapsing-remitting (RR) clinical subtype. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were high (range=0.78-0.96), indicating subscale homogeneity comparable to that of the original English version. Linear multivariate regression analyses revealed that the EDSS is a dominant variable in predicting all the FAMS subscales, especially mobility (R2=0.51) and the total scores. Conclusions: The Spanish FAMS is a psychometrically valid instrument that allows clinicians and clinical researchers the ability to measure the QOL concerns of MS patients in Spain.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 937-945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Órpez-Zafra ◽  
Jose Pavía ◽  
Isaac Hurtado-Guerrero ◽  
Maria J Pinto-Medel ◽  
Jose Luis Rodriguez Bada ◽  
...  

Background: The soluble isoform of the interferon-β (IFN-β) receptor (sIFNAR2) could modulate the activity of both endogenous and systemically administered IFN-β. Previously, we described lower serum sIFNAR2 levels in untreated multiple sclerosis (MS) than in healthy controls (HCs). Objective: To assess sIFNAR2 levels in a new cohort of MS patients and HCs, as well as in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and with other inflammatory neurological disorders (OIND) and to assess its ability as a diagnostic biomarker. Methods: The cross-sectional study included 148 MS (84 treatment naive and 64 treated), 87 CIS, 42 OIND, and 96 HCs. Longitudinal study included 94 MS pretreatment and after 1 year of therapy with IFN-β, glatiramer acetate (GA), or natalizumab. sIFNAR2 serum levels were measured by a quantitative ELISA developed and validated in our laboratory. Results: Naive MS and CIS patients showed significantly lower sIFNAR2 levels than HCs and OIND patients. The sensitivity and specificity to discriminate between MS and OIND, for a sIFNAR2 cutoff value of 122.02 ng/mL, were 70.1%, and 79.4%, respectively. sIFNAR2 increased significantly in IFN-β-treated patients during the first year of therapy in contrast to GA- and natalizumab-treated patients who showed non-significant changes. Conclusion: The results suggest that sIFNAR2 could be a potential diagnostic biomarker for MS.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 175628642110310
Author(s):  
Gisela Zanga ◽  
Estefania Drzewiscki ◽  
Paula Tagliani ◽  
Maximiliano Smietniansky ◽  
Maria M. Esnaola y Rojas ◽  
...  

Background and Aims: In multiple sclerosis (MS), non-adherence/non-persistence is related to suboptimal response to treatment, including disease relapses and the need for more expensive healthcare. The aim of this study was to identify predictors related to adherence to disease modifying therapies (DMTs) in a cohort of Argentinian MS patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at the National Medical Care Program from Argentina. MS patients with at least one claim for a DMT from 1 January 2017 to 1 October 2017 were identified. A telephone survey was performed to assess clinical and demographic factors. The medication possession ratio (MPR) was used to estimate adherence; MPR <80% defined non-adherence. Associations were studied using a logistic regression model. Results: Our database included 648 MS patients. A total of 360 patients (60% females, mean age 55.3 years) accepted to participate. Of these, 308 (85.5%) patients were receiving DMT at the time of the survey. Some 198 (63.7%) were receiving injectable therapies. Optimal adherence was 47.7%. Adherence was associated with oral medication [odds ratio (OR) 1.83 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13–3.00, p = 0.014]. A factor related to oral drugs was higher educational level (OR 2.86 95%CI 1.41–5.81, p = 0.004). Conclusion: This real-world study showed better adherence and persistence on treatment with oral therapies in MS patients in Argentina.


2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1011-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Younes ◽  
J. Hill ◽  
J. Quinless ◽  
M. Kilduff ◽  
B. Peng ◽  
...  

Cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis is difficult to study because of the heterogeneity and variability of this disease. The gold standard for measurement of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis is a full battery of neurocognitive tests, which is time consuming and expensive. Some cognitive tests like the PASAT, a measure of working verbal memory and processing speed, have been proposed for screening and follow-up of cognitive function in clinical trials. We studied whether we could measure cognitive function in multiple sclerosis over the Internet. For this we used the Cognitive Stability Index (CSI)™, developed for persons with known or suspected primary central nervous system illness. The CSI was compared with formal neurocognitive testing (NPsych) and the PASAT in a cross-sectional study of 40 consecutive multiple sclerosis patients with subjective cognitive complaints. NPsych revealed that only 18 of the 40 patients (46%) were cognitively impaired. Although both the CSI and the PASAT were equalivalent in their specificity (86%), the CSI was significantly more sensitive than the PASAT (83% versus 28%). We conclude that the CSI, because of its availability over the Internet, has great potential as a tool for screening and follow up of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 1011—1019. http://msj.sagepub.com


PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. e30627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Baumstarck ◽  
Jean Pelletier ◽  
Valérie Aghababian ◽  
Françoise Reuter ◽  
Irina Klemina ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 131 (7) ◽  
pp. 453-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panayiotis Aristotelous ◽  
Manos Stefanakis ◽  
Marios Pantzaris ◽  
Constantinos Pattichis ◽  
Georgios M Hadjigeorgiou ◽  
...  

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