Routine Gadolinium Use for MRI Follow-up of Multiple Sclerosis: Counterpoint—Gadolinium Should Not Always Be Used to Assess Disease Activity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Àlex Rovira ◽  
Cristina Auger
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Activity

scholarly journals Reducing return of disease activity in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis transitioned from natalizumab to teriflunomide: 12-month interim results of teriflunomide therapy

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 205521731882461
Author(s):  
Stanley L Cohan ◽  
Keith Edwards ◽  
Lindsay Lucas ◽  
Tiffany Gervasi-Follmar ◽  
Judy O’Connor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
T2 Lesions ◽  
Disability Status ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis Patients ◽  
Mean Time ◽  
Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

Background Natalizumab is an effective treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis. Return of disease activity upon natalizumab discontinuance creates the need for follow-up therapeutic strategies. Objective To assess the efficacy of teriflunomide following natalizumab discontinuance in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients. Methods Clinically stable relapsing multiple sclerosis patients completing 12 or more consecutive months of natalizumab, testing positive for anti-John Cunningham virus antibody, started teriflunomide 14 mg/day, 28 ± 7 days after their final natalizumab infusion. Physical examination, Expanded Disability Status Scale, laboratory assessments, and brain magnetic resonance imaging were performed at screening and multiple follow-up visits. Results Fifty-five patients were enrolled in the study. The proportion of patients relapse-free was 0.94, restricted mean time to first gadolinium-enhancing lesion was 10.9 months and time to 3-month sustained disability worsening was 11.8 months. The mean number of new or enlarging T2 lesions per patient at 12 months was 0.42. Exploratory analyses revealed an annualized relapse rate of 0.08, and a proportion of patients with no evidence of disease activity of 0.68. Forty-seven patients (85.5%) reported adverse events, 95% of which were mild to moderate. Conclusions Teriflunomide therapy initiated without natalizumab washout resulted in a low rate of return of disease activity. Clinicians may consider this a worthwhile strategy when transitioning clinically stable patients off natalizumab to another therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01970410

scholarly journals Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Series

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1341
Author(s):  
Marco Allinovi ◽  
Angelo Bellinvia ◽  
Francesco Pesce ◽  
Sabrina Milan Manani ◽  
Lorenzo Razzolini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Multicentric Study ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Relapsing Remitting ◽  
Before And After ◽  
System Activation ◽  
Ms Pathogenesis

(1) Background: Complement system activation has been proposed as one of the different factors that contribute to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis. In this study, we aimed to describe the potential effects of eculizumab, an anticomplement therapy, on MS disease activity in a cohort of relapsing–remitting (RR) MS patients who discontinued IFN-β therapy due to IFN-β-related thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) onset. (2) Methods: In this retrospective observational multicentric study, we searched for all patients with MS treated by eculizumab with a survey of several nephrological and neurological centers (over 45 centers). (3) Results: Nine patients were included. The mean follow-up time under eculizumab was 3.72 ± 2.58 years. There were no significant differences in disease activity (EDSS, relapses, new T2, and/or Gd-enhancing lesions at MRI) considering the two years before and after eculizumab therapy. No adverse events potentially related to eculizumab therapy were reported during follow-up. (4) Conclusions: In this preliminary study, we described a good safety profile for eculizumab therapy in MS. However, the available data are not sufficient to make firm conclusions about the possible efficacy of eculizumab as a disease-modifying therapy for MS patients.

scholarly journals Kappa-Free Light Chains in CSF Predict Early Multiple Sclerosis Disease Activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. e1005
Author(s):  
Klaus Berek ◽  
Gabriel Bsteh ◽  
Michael Auer ◽  
Franziska Di Pauli ◽  
Astrid Grams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Corticosteroid Treatment ◽  
Mri Findings ◽  
Cox Regression Analysis ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis Disease

ObjectiveTo investigate whether κ-free light chain (κ-FLC) index predicts multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity independent of demographics, clinical characteristics, and MRI findings.MethodsPatients with early MS who had CSF and serum sampling at disease onset were followed for 4 years. At baseline, age, sex, type of symptoms, corticosteroid treatment, and number of T2 hyperintense (T2L) and contrast-enhancing T1 lesions (CELs) on MRI were determined. During follow-up, the occurrence of a second clinical attack and start of disease-modifying therapy (DMT) were registered. κ-FLCs were measured by nephelometry, and κ-FLC index calculated as [CSF κ-FLC/serum κ-FLC]/albumin quotient.ResultsA total of 88 patients at a mean age of 33 ± 10 years and female predominance of 68% were included; 38 (43%) patients experienced a second clinical attack during follow-up. In multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusting for age, sex, T2L, CEL, disease and follow-up duration, administration of corticosteroids at baseline and DMT during follow-up revealed that κ-FLC index predicts time to second clinical attack. Patients with κ-FLC index >100 (median value 147) at baseline had a twice as high probability for a second clinical attack within 12 months than patients with low κ-FLC index (median 28); within 24 months, the chance in patients with high κ-FLC index was 4 times as high as in patients with low κ-FLC index. The median time to second attack was 11 months in patients with high κ-FLC index whereas 36 months in those with low κ-FLC index.ConclusionHigh κ-FLC index predicts early MS disease activity.Classification of EvidenceThis study provides Class II evidence that in patients with early MS, high κ-FLC index is an independent risk factor for early second clinical attack.

Serum Neurofilament Light Association With Progression in Natalizumab-Treated Patients With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012752
Author(s):  
Claire Bridel ◽  
Cyra E Leurs ◽  
Zoë YGJ van Lierop ◽  
Zoé LE van Kempen ◽  
Iris Dekker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Inflammatory Disease ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Neurofilament Light ◽  
Longitudinal Dynamics ◽  
Relapsing Remitting ◽  
Remitting Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the potential of serum neurofilament light (NfL) to reflect or predict progression mostly independent of acute inflammatory disease activity in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated with natalizumab.MethodsPatients were selected from a prospective observational cohort study initiated in 2006 at the VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, The Netherlands, including patients with RRMS treated with natalizumab. Selection criteria included an age of 18 years or older and a minimum follow-up of 3 years from natalizumab initiation. Clinical and MRI assessments were performedon a yearly basis, and serum NfL was measured at 5 time-points during the follow-up, including on the day of natalizumab initiation (baseline), 3 months, 1 year and 2 years after natalizumab initiation, and on last follow-up visit. Using general linear regression models, we compared the longitudinal dynamics of NfL between patients with and without confirmed EDSS progression between year 1 visit and last follow-up, and between individuals with and without EDSS+ progression, a composite endpoint including the EDSS, 9 hole peg test and timed 25 foot-walk.ResultsEighty-nine natalizumab-treated patients with RRMS were included. Median follow-up time was 5.2 years (IQR 4.3-6.7, range 3.0-11.0) after natalizumab initiation, mean age at time of natalizumab initiation was 36.9 (SD: 8.5), and median disease duration was 7.4 years (IQR 3.8-12.1). Between year 1 and the last follow-up, 28/89 (31.5%) individuals showed confirmed EDSS progression. Data for the EDSS+ endpoint was available for 73 out of the 89 patients and 35/73 (47.9%) showed confirmed EDSS+ progression.We observed a significant reduction in NfL levels 3 months after natalizumab initiation, which reached its nadir of close to 50% of baseline levels 1 year after treatment initiation. We found no difference in the longitudinal dynamics of NfL in progressors versus non-progressors. NfL levels at baseline and 1 year after natalizumab initiation did not predict progression at last follow-up.DiscussionIn our cohort of natalizumab-treated patients with RRMS, NfL fails to capture or predict progression that occurs largely independently of clinical or radiological signs of acute focal inflammatory disease activity. Additional biomarkers may thus be needed to monitor progression in these patients.Classification of EvidenceThis study provides Class II evidence that serum NfL levels are not associated with disease progression in natalizumab-treated patients with RRMS.

scholarly journals Neurofilament levels, disease activity and brain volume during follow-up in multiple sclerosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Håkansson ◽  
Anders Tisell ◽  
Petra Cassel ◽  
Kaj Blennow ◽  
Henrik Zetterberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Brain Volume

Efficacy of rituximab in refractory RRMS

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 828-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Durozard ◽  
Adil Maarouf ◽  
Clémence Boutiere ◽  
Aurelie Ruet ◽  
Bruno Brochet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Rescue Therapy ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Relapsing Remitting ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Retrospective Multicenter Study

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of rituximab as rescue therapy in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and persistent disease activity confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) despite immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapy (DMT). Methods: In this observational nationwide retrospective multicenter study, we first identified 351 off-label rituximab-treated patients through a cohort of 15,984 RRMS patients. In this group, we identified patients with disease activity prior to rituximab confirmed by MRI (one or more new T2 lesion and/or gadolinium-enhancing lesion) despite immunosuppressive DMT (fingolimod, natalizumab, or mitoxantrone) with a follow-up after rituximab initiation longer than 6 months. Outcome data were collected from the French Observatory of Multiple Sclerosis (OFSEP) register and medical charts. Results: A total of 50 patients were identified. Median rituximab treatment duration was 1.1 (0.5–6.4) year. Mean annualized relapse rate significantly decreased from 0.8 during last immunosuppressive DMT to 0.18 after rituximab ( p < 0.0001). While 72% of patients showed gadolinium-enhancing lesions on the last MRI performed during last immunosuppressive DMT, 8% of them showed gadolinium-enhancing lesions on the first MRI performed 6.1 (range 1.4–18.4) months after rituximab ( p < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study provides level IV evidence that rituximab reduces clinical and MRI disease activity in patients with active RRMS despite immunosuppressive DMT.

scholarly journals The Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio is Related to Disease Activity in Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 1114 ◽  
Author(s):  
D’Amico ◽  
Zanghì ◽  
Romano ◽  
Sciandra ◽  
Palumbo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Neutrophil To Lymphocyte Ratio ◽  
Lymphocyte Ratio ◽  
Relapsing Remitting ◽  
Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

: Background: The role of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) of peripheral blood has been investigated in relation to several autoimmune diseases. Limited studies have addressed the significance of the NLR in terms of being a marker of disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: This is a retrospective study in relapsing–remitting MS patients (RRMS) admitted to the tertiary MS center of Catania, Italy during the period of 1 January to 31 December 2018. The aim of the present study was to investigate the significance of the NLR in reflecting the disease activity in a cohort of early diagnosed RRMS patients. Results: Among a total sample of 132 patients diagnosed with RRMS, 84 were enrolled in the present study. In the association analysis, a relation between the NLR value and disease activity at onset was found (V-Cramer 0.271, p = 0.013). In the logistic regression model, the variable NLR (p = 0.03 ExpB 3.5, CI 95% 1.089–11.4) was related to disease activity at onset. Conclusion: An elevated NLR is associated with disease activity at onset in RRMS patients. More large-scale studies with a longer follow-up are needed.

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