Background
Chronic visual loss is a disabling feature in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). It was recently shown that MD1003 (high-dose pharmaceutical-grade biotin or hdPB) may improve ...disability in patients with progressive MS.
Objective
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether MD1003 improves vision compared with placebo in MS patients with chronic visual loss.
Methods
The MS-ON was a 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with a 6-month open-label extension phase. Adult patients with MS-related chronic visual loss of at least one eye visual acuity (VA) below 0.5 decimal chart were randomized 2:1 to oral MD1003 300 mg/day or placebo. The selected eye had to show worsening of VA within the past 3 years following either acute optic neuritis (AON) or slowly progressive optic neuropathy (PON). The primary endpoint was the mean change from baseline to month 6 in VA measured in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) at 100% contrast of the selected eye. Visually evoked potentials, visual field, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, and health outcomes were also assessed.
Results
Ninety-three patients received MD1003 (
n
= 65) or placebo (
n
= 28). The study did not meet its primary endpoint, as the mean change in the primary endpoint was nonsignificantly larger (
p
= 0.66) with MD1003 (− 0.061 logMAR, + 3.1 letters) than with placebo (− 0.036 logMAR, + 1.8 letters). Pre-planned subgroup analyses showed that 100% contrast VA improved by a mean of + 2.8 letters (− 0.058 logMAR) with MD1003 and worsened by − 1.5 letters (+ 0.029 logMAR) with placebo (
p
= 0.45) in the subgroup of patients with PON. MD1003-treated patients also had nonsignificant improvement in logMAR at 5% contrast and in RNFL thickness and health outcome scores when compared with placebo-treated patients. There was no superiority of MD1003 vs placebo in patients with AON. The safety profile of MD1003 was similar to that of placebo.
Conclusions
MD1003 did not significantly improve VA compared with placebo in patients with MS experiencing chronic visual loss. An interesting trend favoring MD1003 was observed in the subgroup of patients with PON. Treatment was overall well tolerated.
Trial registration
EudraCT identifier 2013-002112-27. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02220244
Funding
MedDay Pharmaceuticals.
To describe the clinico-radiological features and long-term prognosis in patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation (CAA-ri).
Twenty-eight CAA-ri patients were recruited ...retrospectively from 6 neurological centers. We recorded the clinico-radiological and biological data, at baseline and during follow-up. Baseline characteristics associated with relapse risk and prognosis were assessed.
Five patients had pathologically confirmed CAA-ri whereas 23 had probable (n = 21) or possible (n = 2) CAA-ri. The mean age was 72 years; main clinical symptoms included confusion (54%), hemiparesis (36%), and aphasia (29%). Cerebral MRI disclosed a brain parenchymal lesion (89%), which was usually multifocal (82%) and bilateral (89%). It was associated with gadolinium enhancement (84%), small ischemic lesions (39%), cortical superficial siderosis (CSS; 50%), and a high number of microbleeds (mean 240 ± 277). An isolated leptomeningeal involvement was observed in 3 patients with pathological confirmation. Despite a favorable initial evolution after treatment, we observed a 42% risk of relapse, mostly within the first year (83%). After a mean follow-up of 2 years, 29% died and 25% had a marked disability. Disseminated CSS was associated with death.
Despite an apparently favorable initial evolution, CAA-ri is characterized by a poor prognosis. Diagnostic criteria should consider patients with isolated leptomeningeal involvement.
Background:
auto-antibodies against the potassium channel inward rectifying potassium channel 4.1 (Kir4.1) have previously been identified in 46% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Objectives:
...to confirm these findings.
Methods:
we evaluated the presence of anti-Kir4.1 antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence in 268 MS patients, 46 patients with other neurological diseases (OND) and 45 healthy controls.
Results:
anti-Kir4.1 antibodies were found in 7.5% of MS patients, 4.3% of OND patients and 4.4% of healthy controls. Immunofluorescence analysis did not identify any specific staining.
Conclusions:
we confirmed the presence of anti-Kir4.1 antibodies in MS patients, but at a much lower prevalence than previously reported.
Introduction
Cerebral punctate and curvilinear gadolinium enhancements (PCGE) correspond to opacification of small vessel lumen or its perivascular areas in case of blood-brain barrier (BBB) ...disruption. We will discuss the possible causes of intra-parenchymal central nervous system PCGE.
Methods
Our review is based on French database including patients presenting with central nervous system PCGE and literature search using PubMed database with the following keywords: punctate enhancement, linear enhancement, and curvilinear enhancement. Disorders which displayed linear leptomeningeal or periventricular enhancements without intra-parenchymal PCGE are excluded of this review.
Results
Among our 39 patients with PCGE, 16 different diagnoses were established. After combining our PCGE causes with those described in the literature, we propose a practical approach. Besides physiologic post-contrast enhancement of small vessels, three pathologic conditions may exhibit PCGE: (1) small collateral artery network seen in Moyamoya syndrome, (2) small veins congestions related to developmental or acquired venous outflow disturbance, and (3) disorders causing small vessels BBB disruption indicated by T2 and FLAIR hyperintensities in the corresponding areas of PCGE. Disruption of the BBB could be caused by a direct injury of the endothelial cell, as in posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, Susac syndrome, and radiochemotherapy-induced injuries, or by an angiocentric cellular infiltrate, as in inflammatory disorders, demyelinating diseases, host immune responses fighting against infections, prelymphoma states, lymphoma, and in CLIPPERS.
Conclusion
PCGE may conceal several causes, including physiological and pathological conditions. Nevertheless, a practical approach could improve its management and limit the indications of brain biopsy to very specific situations.
Background:
A delayed onset of treatment effect, termed therapeutic lag, may influence the assessment of treatment response in some patient subgroups.
Objectives:
The objective of this study is to ...explore the associations of patient and disease characteristics with therapeutic lag on relapses and disability accumulation.
Methods:
Data from MSBase, a multinational multiple sclerosis (MS) registry, and OFSEP, the French MS registry, were used. Patients diagnosed with MS, minimum 1 year of exposure to MS treatment and 3 years of pre-treatment follow-up, were included in the analysis. Studied outcomes were incidence of relapses and disability accumulation. Therapeutic lag was calculated using an objective, validated method in subgroups stratified by patient and disease characteristics. Therapeutic lag under specific circumstances was then estimated in subgroups defined by combinations of clinical and demographic determinants.
Results:
High baseline disability scores, annualised relapse rate (ARR) ⩾ 1 and male sex were associated with longer therapeutic lag on disability progression in sufficiently populated groups: females with expanded disability status scale (EDSS) < 6 and ARR < 1 had mean lag of 26.6 weeks (95% CI = 18.2–34.9), males with EDSS < 6 and ARR < 1 31.0 weeks (95% CI = 25.3–36.8), females with EDSS < 6 and ARR ⩾ 1 44.8 weeks (95% CI = 24.5–65.1), and females with EDSS ⩾ 6 and ARR < 1 54.3 weeks (95% CI = 47.2–61.5).
Conclusions:
Pre-treatment EDSS and ARR are the most important determinants of therapeutic lag.
Therapeutic options are limited in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). Open-label studies suggested efficacy of monthly IV cyclophosphamide (CPM) without induction for delaying ...progression but no randomized trial was conducted so far.
To compare CPM to methylprednisolone (MP) in SPMS.
Randomized, double-blind clinical trial on two parallel groups. Patient with SPMS, with a documented worsening of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score during the last year and an EDSS score between 4·0 and 6·5 were recruited and received one intravenous infusion of treatment (CPM: 750 mg /m2 body surface area-MP: 1g) every four weeks for one year, and every eight weeks for the second year. The primary endpoint was the time to EDSS deterioration, when confirmed sixteen weeks later, analyzed using a Cox model.
Due to recruitment difficulties, the study was terminated prematurely after 138 patients were included (CPM, n = 72; MP, n = 66). In the CPM group, 33 patients stopped treatment prematurely, mainly due to tolerability, compared with 22 in the MP group. Primary endpoint: the hazard ratio for EDSS deterioration in the CPM in comparison with the MP group was 0.61 95% CI: 0·31-1·22(p = 0·16). According to the secondary multistate model analysis, patients in the CPM group were 2.2 times more likely (1·14-4.29; p = 0.02) to discontinue treatment than those in the MP group and 2.7 times less likely (HR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.17-0.84; p = 0.02) to experience disability progression when they did not stop treatment prematurely. Safety profile was as expected.
Although the primary end-point was negative, secondary analysis suggested that CPM decreases the risk of progression in SPMS, but its use may be limited by low tolerability.
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00241254.
Des manifestations neurologiques de tout ordre ont été identifiées chez 30 % des patients présentant un déficit héréditaire en CTLA4. Néanmoins, leurs caractéristiques n’ont pas été, à ce jour, bien ...précisées.
Décrire les tableaux clinico-radiologiques neurologiques associés à la présence d’une mutation du gène CTLA4 et alerter les neurologues afin qu’ils pensent à rechercher ces mutations en présence de tableaux potentiellement évocateurs.
Nous décrivons 2 patients porteurs de déficit immunitaire commun variable par mutation du gène CTLA4 associé à 2 tableaux neurologiques distincts.
Le premier a présenté à partir de 16 ans des céphalées et déficits focaux secondaires à des lésions récidivantes cérébromédullaires inflammatoires. Après l’identification de la mutation de CTLA4, un traitement par abatacept a entraîné une stabilisation systémique et neurologique. La seconde à développé à 50 ans une ataxie cérébelleuse avec atrophie optique avec, en IRM, des anomalies diffuses de la substance blanche évoquant une leucoencéphalopathie héréditaire.
Nous effectuons une analyse détaillée clinique et radiologique des manifestations neurologiques en lien avec les mutations du gène CTLA4 sont extrêmement polymorphes (lésions inflammatoires, lymphoproliférations bénignes, atteinte diffuse de la substance blanche) et peuvent survenir à tout âge. Elles sont parfois au premier plan et doivent faire évoquer ce diagnostic car des traitements potentiellement stabilisateurs sont disponibles.
Les atteintes neurologiques en lien avec un déficit héréditaire en CTLA4 sont probablement méconnues et très certainement sous-diagnostiquées. Une meilleure identification de ces patients est primordiale car des traitements sont désormais disponibles.
High-dose biotin (HDB) is a therapy used in non-active progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS). Several reports have suggested that HDB treatment may be associated with an increased risk of relapse. We ...aimed to determine whether HDB increases the risk of clinical relapse in PMS and describe the characteristics of the patients who experience it. We conducted a French, multicenter, retrospective study, comparing a group of PMS patients treated with HDB to a matched control group. Poisson regression was applied to model the specific statistical distribution of the annualized relapse rate (ARR). A propensity score (PS), based on the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), was used to adjust for indication bias and included the following variables: gender, primary PMS or not, age, EDSS, time since the last relapse, and co-prescription of a DMT. Two thousand six hundred twenty-eight patients treated with HDB and 654 controls were analyzed with a follow-up of 17 ± 8 months. Among them, 148 validated relapses were observed in the group treated with biotin and 38 in the control group (
p
= 0.62). After adjustment based on the PS, the ARR was 0.044 ± 0.23 for the biotin-treated group and 0.028 ± 0.16 for the control group (
p
= 0.18). The more relapses there were before biotin, the higher the risk of relapse during treatment, independently from the use of HDB. While the number of relapses reported for patients with no previous inflammatory activity receiving biotin has gradually increased, the present retrospective study is adequately powered to exclude an elevated risk of relapse for patients with PMS treated with HDB.
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) show a diffuse cerebral perfusion decrease, presumably related to multiple metabolism and vascular alterations. It is assumed that white matter fiber alterations ...cause a localized cerebral vasoreactivity (CVR) disruption through astrocytes metabolism alteration, leading to hypoperfusion. We proposed to (1) evaluate the CVR disruptions in MS, (2) in relation to white matter lesions and (3) compare CVR disruptions maps with standard imaging biomarkers. Thirty-five MS patients (10 progressive, 25 relapsing–remitting) and 22 controls underwent MRI with hypercapnic challenge, DTI imaging and neuropsychological assessment. Areas with disrupted CVR were assessed using a general linear model. Resulting maps were associated with clinical scores, compared between groups, and related to DTI metrics and white matter lesions. MS patients showed stronger disrupted CVR within supratentorial white matter, linking the left anterior insula to both the precentral gyrus and the right middle and superior frontal gyrus through the corpus callosum (P < 0.05, FWE corrected). Patient’s verbal intellectual quotient was negatively associated with a pathway linking both hippocampi to the ispilateral prefrontal cortex (P < 0.05, FWE corrected). Disrupted CVR maps unrelated to DTI metrics and white matter lesions. We have demonstrated for the first time that white matter alterations can be indirectly identified through surrounding vessel alterations, and are related to clinical signs of MS. This offers a new, likely independent marker to monitor MS and supports a mediator role of the astrocytes in the fibers/vessels relationship.
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