Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis Disease in Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Based on the Harris Hawks Optimization Algorithm

The damaged areas of brain tissues can be extracted by using segmentation methods, most of which are based on the integration of machine learning and data mining techniques. An important segmentation method is to utilize clustering techniques, especially the fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering technique, which is sufficiently accurate and not overly sensitive to imaging noise. Therefore, the FCM technique is appropriate for multiple sclerosis diagnosis, although the optimal selection of cluster centers can affect segmentation. They are difficult to select because this is an NP-hard problem. In this study, the Harris Hawks optimization (HHO) algorithm was used for the optimal selection of cluster centers in segmentation and FCM algorithms. The HHO is more accurate than other conventional algorithms such as the genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization. In the proposed method, every membership matrix is assumed as a hawk or an HHO member. The next step is to generate a population of hawks or membership matrices, the most optimal of which is selected to find the optimal cluster centers to decrease the multiple sclerosis clustering error. According to the tests conducted on a number of brain MRIs, the proposed method outperformed the FCM clustering and other techniques such as the k -NN algorithm, support vector machine, and hybrid data mining methods in accuracy.

Oxidative Stress in Multiple Sclerosis Disease (Review Article)

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, in which the myelin sheaths got injured. The prevalence of MS is on grow, as well as, it affects the young ages. Females are most common to have MS compared to males. Oxidative stress is the situation of imbalance between oxidants (free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS)) and antioxidants in a living system, in which either the oxidants are elevated or antioxidants are reduced, or sometimes both. ROS and oxidative stress have been implicated in the progression of many degenerative diseases, which is important in cracking the unrevealed mysteries of MS. In this review article, some of the proposed mechanisms that link oxidative stress with MS disease would be described. Keywords: Oxidative stress, ROS, multiple sclerosis, antioxidants

Clinical case of COVID-19 in a patient treated with alemtuzumab

The need to review the guidelines for the management of patients with multiple sclerosis using multiple sclerosis disease modifying drugs has become acute enough since the beginning of 2020 following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Immunosuppressive drugs were also specifically addressed, as it is during administration of these drugs that the more severe course of COVID-19 disease was expected. Both the Russian and foreign teams published results of their research works. This article presents a retrospective analysis of the incidence rates of COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis after selective immunosuppressive therapy with alemtuzumab and a clinical case when a patient was infected with coronavirus in the first days following the last infusion of the therapy course without clinical manifestations of the infectious disease. The author discusses the mechanisms underlying such a favourable outcome due to the CD52 lymphocyte depletion leading to the reduction of risks of developing hyperimmune reactions that underlie severe complications of COVID-19, and analyses previously published works of our foreign colleagues on the same theme. The review of the accumulated works and personal experience suggest that it is the CD52 lymphocyte depletion that makes it possible to avoid the cytokine storm and, as a result, the more severe course of COVID-19. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, during the prescription of multiple sclerosis disease modifying drugs, it should be borne in mind that patients should have access to all types of modern therapy and that the benefits should outweigh the sum of possible risks.

Adverse Drug Reactions of Multiple Sclerosis Disease-Modifying Drugs

Introduction: High frequency of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) challenges multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment. We aimed to assess the nature and frequency of ADRs induced by MS medications in an observational cross-sectional study. Material and Methods: ADRs of all outpatients who had been visiting a neurologist and had been receiving at least one disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for MS during the last three months were investigated. Results: A total number of 484 ADRs were detected in these patients. The preventability rate was 5.9%, and 0.61% of reactions were serious. Discussion: The high frequency of adverse drug reactions in this study shows a strong need for planning a strategy to increase patients' adherence to treatment.