Background:
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at increased risk of infection. Vaccination can mitigate these risks but only if safe and effective in MS patients, including those taking ...disease-modifying drugs.
Methods:
A modified Delphi consensus process (October 2017–June 2018) was used to develop clinically relevant recommendations for making decisions about vaccinations in patients with MS. A series of statements and recommendations regarding the efficacy, safety and timing of vaccine administration in patients with MS were generated in April 2018 by a panel of experts based on a review of the published literature performed in October 2017.
Results:
Recommendations include the need for an ‘infectious diseases card’ of each patient’s infectious and immunisation history at diagnosis in order to exclude and eventually treat latent infections. We suggest the implementation of the locally recommended vaccinations, if possible at MS diagnosis, otherwise with vaccination timing tailored to the planned/current MS treatment, and yearly administration of the seasonal influenza vaccine regardless of the treatment received.
Conclusion:
Patients with MS should be vaccinated with careful consideration of risks and benefits. However, there is an urgent need for more research into vaccinations in patients with MS to guide evidence-based decision making.
The risk of infection associated with immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been increasingly addressed in recent ...scientific literature. A modified Delphi consensus process was conducted to develop clinically relevant, evidence-based recommendations to assist physicians with decision-making in relation to the risks of a wide range of infections associated with different DMDs in patients with MS. The current consensus statements, developed by a panel of experts (neurologists, infectious disease specialists, a gynaecologist and a neuroradiologist), address the risk of iatrogenic infections (opportunistic infections, including herpes and cryptococcal infections, candidiasis and listeria; progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy; human papillomavirus and urinary tract infections; respiratory tract infections and tuberculosis; hepatitis and gastrointestinal infections) in patients with MS treated with different DMDs, as well as prevention strategies and surveillance strategies for the early identification of infections. In the discussion, more recent data emerged in the literature were taken into consideration. Recommended risk reduction and management strategies for infections include screening at diagnosis and before starting a new DMD, prophylaxis where appropriate, monitoring and early diagnosis.
Background:
With many options now available, first therapy choice is challenging in multiple sclerosis (MS) and depends mainly on neurologist and patient preferences.
Objectives:
To identify ...prognostic factors for early switch after first therapy choice.
Methods:
Newly diagnosed relapsing–remitting MS patients from 24 Italian centers were included. We evaluated the association of baseline demographics, clinical, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data to the switch probability for lack of efficacy or intolerance/safety with a multivariate Cox analysis and estimated switch rates by competing risks models.
Results:
We enrolled 3025 patients. The overall switch frequency was 48% after 3 years. Switch risk for lack of efficacy was lower with fingolimod (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.50; p = 0.009), natalizumab (HR = 0.13; p < 0.001), dimethyl-fumarate (HR = 0.60; p = 0.037), teriflunomide (HR = 0.21; p = 0.031) as compared to interferons. Younger age (HR = 0.96; p < 0.001), diagnosis delay (HR = 1.23; p = 0.021), higher baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (HR = 1.17; p = 0.001), and spinal cord lesions (HR = 1.46; p = 0.001) were independently associated with higher inefficacy switch rates. We found lower switch for intolerance/safety with glatiramer acetate (HR = 0.61; p = 0.001), fingolimod (HR = 0.35; p = 0.002), and dimethyl-fumarate (HR = 0.57; p = 0.022) as compared to interferons, while it increased with natalizumab (HR = 1.43; p = 0.022). Comorbidities were associated with intolerance switch (HR = 1.28; p = 0.047).
Conclusion:
Several factors are associated with higher switch risk in patients starting a first-line therapy and could be integrated in the decision-making process of first treatment choice.
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis, affecting almost 80% of patients with 55% of them reporting it as one of the worst symptoms experienced, often ...independently of the level of disability. Areas covered: We review the main pathophysiological hypothesis, fatigue assessment scales, and its management. Expert commentary: Fatigue pathophysiology is complex and is often influenced by other secondary but relevant factors (e.g. psychological disturbances, musculoskeletal problems, sleep disorders and medication side effects) which may vary over time. Both peripheral and central mechanisms are implicated. The large heterogeneity of the assessment scales, which were used in the therapeutic trials, is partially responsible for the uncertainty of their results. To date, the best therapeutic approach seems to be from a multidisciplinary management involving exercise, rehabilitation and education in conjunction with medication.
Objective
This study was undertaken to assess the impact of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies on the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) in people with multiple sclerosis ...(PwMS).
Methods
We retrospectively collected data of PwMS with suspected or confirmed COVID‐19. All the patients had complete follow‐up to death or recovery. Severe COVID‐19 was defined by a 3‐level variable: mild disease not requiring hospitalization versus pneumonia or hospitalization versus intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death. We evaluated baseline characteristics and MS therapies associated with severe COVID‐19 by multivariate and propensity score (PS)‐weighted ordinal logistic models. Sensitivity analyses were run to confirm the results.
Results
Of 844 PwMS with suspected (n = 565) or confirmed (n = 279) COVID‐19, 13 (1.54%) died; 11 of them were in a progressive MS phase, and 8 were without any therapy. Thirty‐eight (4.5%) were admitted to an ICU; 99 (11.7%) had radiologically documented pneumonia; 96 (11.4%) were hospitalized.
After adjusting for region, age, sex, progressive MS course, Expanded Disability Status Scale, disease duration, body mass index, comorbidities, and recent methylprednisolone use, therapy with an anti‐CD20 agent (ocrelizumab or rituximab) was significantly associated (odds ratio OR = 2.37, 95% confidence interval CI = 1.18–4.74, p = 0.015) with increased risk of severe COVID‐19. Recent use (<1 month) of methylprednisolone was also associated with a worse outcome (OR = 5.24, 95% CI = 2.20–12.53, p = 0.001). Results were confirmed by the PS‐weighted analysis and by all the sensitivity analyses.
Interpretation
This study showed an acceptable level of safety of therapies with a broad array of mechanisms of action. However, some specific elements of risk emerged. These will need to be considered while the COVID‐19 pandemic persists. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:780–789
To address the diagnostic performances of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) free light chains (FLC) measurements compared to oligoclonal bands (OCB) to support multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis.
kFLC index ...showed the highest diagnostic accuracy to detect MS patients with the highest AUC compared to OCB, IgG index, IF kFLC R, kFLC H, λFLC index and IF λFLC.
FLC indices are biomarkers of intrathecal Immunoglobulin synthesis and central nervous system (CNS) inflammation. kFLC index can discriminate between MS and other CNS inflammatory disorders, while λFLC index is less informative for MS but can play a role to support the diagnosis of other inflammatory CNS disorders.
Display omitted
•CSF Oligoclonal bands analysis is qualitative and has several limitations.•CSF FLC indices are diagnostic biomarkers of immunoglobulin intrathecal synthesis.•kFLC index has higher sensitivity and NPV but lower specificity than OCB in MS.•λFLC can support the diagnosis of inflammatory diseases other than MS.•IF do not add significant diagnostic value in respect with the kFLC index.
Objectives
We describe brain structural damage and cognitive profile evolution of an adult patient with 17q21.31 microduplication, a rare condition associated with psychomotor delay, behavioural ...disturbances and poor social interaction.
Methods
A.B., 57 years old, male, displayed obsessive and repetitive behaviours, irritability, scarce hygiene and memory loss at disease onset. He had strong familiarity for adult-onset behavioural alterations (his father and sister) and neuropsychiatric conditions (his son). Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples revealed 17q21.31 microduplication, shared also by his son and sister, and raised CSF tau, respectively. He was hospitalized 1 year after disease onset and underwent an MRI scan and a neuropsychological assessment, the latter being repeated 7 months later. To quantitatively investigate patient’s grey matter (GM) volume, 16 age- and education-matched male controls were selected and voxel-based morphometry analysis was performed.
Results
During hospitalization, his behavioural profile was characterized by anosognosia, impulsivity, apathy and aggressiveness. Cognitive testing revealed main attentive-executive disturbances and difficulties in understanding non-literal language. Compared to controls, A.B. had greater GM atrophy mainly in the right hemisphere, involving amygdala, hippocampus, inferior/superior temporal gyri and temporal pole. He received a diagnosis of early onset dementia. After 7 months, he developed empathy loss, perseverative behaviour, changes in eating habits and worsening in executive-attentive abilities.
Conclusions
In A.B., 17q21.31 microduplication caused a neurodegenerative condition with prevalent right temporal damage, raised CSF tau level, behavioural disturbances, memory impairment, attentive-executive and abstract language dysfunctions and fast disease progression, thus reflecting the complex interaction between such genetic substrate and clinical phenotypes.
In this retrospective, multicenter, real-world study we collected clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of all patients (
n
= 40) with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) ...treated with alemtuzumab according to a “free-of-charge” protocol available before the drug marketing approval in Italy. Almost all (39/40) started alemtuzumab after discontinuing multiple disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) because of either lack of response or safety concerns. We considered the proportion of alemtuzumab-treated patients who had no evidence of disease activity (NEDA-3) and disability improvement over a 36-month follow-up period. NEDA-3 was defined as absence of relapses, disability worsening, and MRI activity. Disability improvement was defined as a sustained reduction of ≥ 1-point in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score. At follow-up, 18 (45%) patients achieved NEDA-3, 30 (75%) were relapse-free, 33 (82.5%) were EDSS worsening-free, and 25 (62.5%) were MRI activity-free. Eleven (27.5%) patients had a sustained disability improvement. We found no predictor for the NEDA-3 status, while the interaction of higher EDSS score by higher number of pre-alemtuzumab relapses was associated with a greater chance of disability improvement (odds ratio 1.10,
p
= 0.049). Our study provides real-world evidence that alemtuzumab can promote clinical and MRI disease remission, as well as disability improvement, in a significant proportion of patients with RRMS despite prior multiple DMT failures. The drug safety profile was consistent with data available from clinical trials.
Availability of new disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and changes of therapeutic paradigms have led to a general improvement of multiple sclerosis (MS) prognosis in adults. It is still unclear ...whether this improvement also involves patients with pediatric-onset MS (POMS), whose early management is more challenging.
To evaluate changes in the prognosis of POMS over time in association with changes in therapeutic and managing standards.
Retrospective, multicenter, observational study. Data were extracted and collected in May 2019 from the Italian MS Registry, a digital database including more than 59 000 patients. Inclusion criteria were MS onset before age 18 years, diagnosis before January 2014, and disease duration of at least 3 years. Exclusion criteria were primary progressive MS, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of at least 8 one year after onset, unavailability of diagnosis date, and less than 2 EDSS score evaluations. Eligible patients were 4704 patients with POMS. According to these criteria, we enrolled 3198 patients, excluding 1506.
We compared time to reach disability milestones by epoch of MS diagnosis (<1993, 1993-1999, 2000-2006, and 2007-2013), adjusting for possible confounders linked to EDSS evaluations and clinical disease activity. We then analyzed the difference among the 4 diagnosis epochs regarding demographic characteristics, clinical disease activity at onset, and DMTs management.
Disability milestones were EDSS score 4.0 and 6.0, confirmed in the following clinical evaluation and in the last available visit.
We enrolled 3198 patients with POMS (mean age at onset, 15.2 years; 69% female; median time to diagnosis, 3.2 years; annualized relapse rate in first 1 and 3 years, 1.3 and 0.6, respectively), with a mean (SD) follow-up of 21.8 (11.7) years. Median survival times to reach EDSS score of 4.0 and 6.0 were 31.7 and 40.5 years. The cumulative risk of reaching disability milestones gradually decreased over time, both for EDSS score of 4.0 (hazard ratio HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58-0.83 in 1993-1999; HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.38-0.60 in 2000-2006; and HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.32-0.59 in 2007-2013) and 6.0 (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.57-0.90; HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.33-0.60; and HR, 0.30; 0.20-0.46). In later diagnosis epochs, a greater number of patients with POMS were treated with DMTs, especially high-potency drugs, that were given earlier and for a longer period. Demographic characteristics and clinical disease activity at onset did not change significantly over time.
In POMS, the risk of persistent disability has been reduced by 50% to 70% in recent diagnosis epochs, probably owing to improvement in therapeutic and managing standards.
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