RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: Although many neurologists are reluctant to use natalizumab in MS (multiple sclerosis) given the increased risk for PML (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy), trust was regained with the introduction of JCV antibody titres as a potent disease-modifying therapy. Literature shows that in patients with a negative JCV serology, the risk of PML is virtually non-existent. Unfortunately, seroconversion causes concern amongst many neurologists. Furthermore, when patients seroconvert, it is still unclear what the risk is of passing the important threshold of 1.5. MATERIALS & METHODS: JCV serology data of 161 patients were analysed, upon treatment with natalizumab at the University Hospital in Lille, France, between May 2012 and November 2014. RESULTS: Of the 81 patients who tested negative for JCV antibody at baseline, 23 (28.3%) seroconverted but only seven (8.6%) passed the threshold of 1.5. Of the 80 patients testing positive for JCV antibody at baseline, eight had an initial JCV antibody titre of 0.9 or lower of which only one of eight (12.5%) patients passed the threshold of 1.5 in the following 3 years. Eight of 15 (53.3%) patients passed this threshold if the initial serology was higher than 0.9. CONCLUSIONS: JCV-negative patients and JCV-positive patients with antibody levels below or equal to 0.9 both have a low risk of surpassing the 1.5 threshold.
Asunto(s)
Anticuerpos Antivirales/sangre , Factores Inmunológicos/efectos adversos , Virus JC/inmunología , Leucoencefalopatía Multifocal Progresiva/sangre , Esclerosis Múltiple Recurrente-Remitente/tratamiento farmacológico , Natalizumab/efectos adversos , Adulto , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Leucoencefalopatía Multifocal Progresiva/epidemiología , Leucoencefalopatía Multifocal Progresiva/etiología , Esclerosis Múltiple Recurrente-Remitente/complicaciones , Pruebas SerológicasRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Tumefactive demyelinating lesions of the central nervous system can be the initial presentation in various pathological entities [multiple sclerosis (the most common), Balo's concentric sclerosis, Schilder's disease and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis] with overlapping clinical presentation. The aim of our study was to better characterize these patients. METHODS: Eighty-seven patients (62 women and 25 men) from different MS centers in France were studied retrospectively. Inclusion criteria were (1) a first clinical event (2) MRI showing one or more large demyelinating lesions (20 mm or more in diameter) with mass-like features. Patients with a previous demyelinating event (i.e. confirmed multiple sclerosis) were excluded. RESULTS: Mean age at onset was 26 years. The most common initial symptoms (67% of the patients) were hemiparesis or hemiplegia. Aphasia, headache and cognitive disturbances (i.e. atypical symptoms for demyelinating diseases) were observed in 15, 18 and 15% of patients, respectively. The mean largest diameter of the tumefactive lesions was 26.9 mm, with gadolinium enhancement in 66 patients (81%). Twenty-one patients (24%) had a single tumefactive lesion. During follow-up (median time 5.7 years) 4 patients died, 70 patients improved or remained stable and 12 worsened. 86% of patients received initial corticosteroid treatment, and 73% received disease-modifying therapy subsequently. EDSS at the end of the follow-up was 2.4 ± 2.6 (mean ± SD). CONCLUSION: This study provides further evidence that the clinical course of MS presenting with large focal tumor-like lesions does not differ from that of classical relapsing-remitting MS, once the noisy first relapsing occurred.
Asunto(s)
Esclerosis Múltiple/diagnóstico por imagen , Adulto , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Esclerosis Cerebral Difusa de Schilder/diagnóstico por imagen , Progresión de la Enfermedad , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Esclerosis Múltiple/patología , Esclerosis Múltiple/terapia , Estudios RetrospectivosRESUMEN
We report two cases of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) included in the INFORMS cohort, experiencing a relapse related to a single MRI gadolinium-enhancing lesion 3 months after fingolimod withdrawal. These two patients share similarities with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis cases described in the same situation, suggesting that the initiating process of the active demyelinating plaques is also present in PPMS, even without relapses, but may be triggered as fingolimod is withdrawn. Although the results of the INFORMS study suggest that fingolimod may not slow down the progression, some PPMS patients might still benefit from a disease-modifying treatment.