Impact of natural menopause on multiple sclerosis: a multicentre study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of natural menopause on multiple sclerosis clinical course. METHODS: This was an observational, retrospective, multicentre, cohort study. Menopause onset was defined by the final menstrual period (FMP) beyond which no menses occurred for 12 months. We included multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with FMP occurred after 2005 and a recorded follow-up of at least 2 years pre-FMP and post-FMP. We excluded patients with primary progressive course, iatrogenic menopause and with other confounders that could mask menopause onset. We compared relapse-rate and expanded disability status scale (EDSS) scores pre-FMP and post-FMP, searching for possible interactions with age, disease duration, cigarette smoking and nulliparity status. RESULTS: 148 patients were included (mean observation: 3.5 years pre-FMP and post-FMP). Most patients (92%) received disease-modifying therapies, mainly first-lines. After menopause the annualised relapse rate (ARR) significantly decreased (from 0.21±0.31 to 0.13± 0.24; p=0.005), while disability worsened (increase of mean 0.4 vs 0.2 points after menopause; p<0.001). Older age and long-lasting disease were associated with ARR reduction (p=0.013), but not with disability worsening. Cigarette smokers showed a trend to a higher disability accumulation after menopause (p=0.059). CONCLUSION: Natural menopause seems to be a turning point to a more progressive phase of MS. Relapse rate is also reduced after menopause, but this effect could be driven most by ageing and shifting to progressive phase in patients with long-lasting disease. Cigarette smoking could speed up disability progression after menopause.

Half-dose fingolimod for treating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: Observational study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy and safety of fingolimod (FTY) 0.5 mg administered every other day (FTY-EOD) compared to every day (FTY-ED) in multiple sclerosis patients. METHODS: Multicentre retrospective observational study. Clinical, laboratory and neuroimaging data were consecutively collected from 60 FTY-EOD and 63 FTY-ED patients. Baseline characteristics were compared using logistic regression. Efficacy in preventing occurrence of relapses and demyelinating lesions was tested using propensity score-adjusted Cox and linear regressions. RESULTS: Weight was inversely associated with risk of switch to FTY-EOD because of any reason (odds ratio (OR) = 0.94, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.89-0.99, p = 0.026), and female sex and lower baseline lymphocyte count were positively associated with switch because of lymphopenia. Compared to FTY-ED patients, FTY-EOD patients were at higher risk of developing relapses (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.98, 95% CI = 1.07-8.27, p = 0.036) and either relapses or new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demyelinating lesions (combined outcome, HR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.06-4.08, p = 0.034). Within FTY-EOD, treatment with natalizumab before FTY and lower age were positively associated with risk of developing relapses and combined outcome, respectively (HR = 25.71, 95% CI = 3.03-217.57, p = 0.002 and HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.77-0.96, p = 0.005). FTY-EOD was overall well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Disease reactivation was observed in a significant proportion of patients treated with FTY-EOD. Neurologists should be cautious when reducing FTY administration to every other day, especially in younger patients and those previously treated with natalizumab.

Brain atrophy and lesion load predict long term disability in multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether brain atrophy and lesion volumes predict subsequent 10 year clinical evolution in multiple sclerosis (MS). DESIGN: From eight MAGNIMS (MAGNetic resonance Imaging in MS) centres, we retrospectively included 261 MS patients with MR imaging at baseline and after 1-2 years, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scoring at baseline and after 10 years. Annualised whole brain atrophy, central brain atrophy rates and T2 lesion volumes were calculated. Patients were categorised by baseline diagnosis as primary progressive MS (n=77), clinically isolated syndromes (n=18), relapsing-remitting MS (n=97) and secondary progressive MS (n=69). Relapse onset patients were classified as minimally impaired (EDSS=0-3.5, n=111) or moderately impaired (EDSS=4-6, n=55) according to their baseline disability (and regardless of disease type). Linear regression models tested whether whole brain and central atrophy, lesion volumes at baseline, follow-up and lesion volume change predicted 10 year EDSS and MS Severity Scale scores. RESULTS: In the whole patient group, whole brain and central atrophy predicted EDSS at 10 years, corrected for imaging protocol, baseline EDSS and disease modifying treatment. The combined model with central atrophy and lesion volume change as MRI predictors predicted 10 year EDSS with R(2)=0.74 in the whole group and R(2)=0.72 in the relapse onset group. In subgroups, central atrophy was predictive in the minimally impaired relapse onset patients (R(2)=0.68), lesion volumes in moderately impaired relapse onset patients (R(2)=0.21) and whole brain atrophy in primary progressive MS (R(2)=0.34). CONCLUSIONS: This large multicentre study points to the complementary predictive value of atrophy and lesion volumes for predicting long term disability in MS.

High frequency of intestinal TH17 cells correlates with microbiota alterations and disease activity in multiple sclerosis.

T helper 17 (TH17) cells are key players in multiple sclerosis (MS), and studies in animal models demonstrated that effector TH17 cells that trigger brain autoimmunity originate in the intestine. We validate in humans the crucial role of the intestinal environment in promoting TH17 cell expansion in MS patients. We found that increased frequency of TH17 cells correlates with high disease activity and with specific alterations of the gut mucosa-associated microbiota in MS patients. By using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing, we analyzed the microbiota isolated from small intestinal tissues and found that MS patients with high disease activity and increased intestinal TH17 cell frequency showed a higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, increased relative abundance of Streptococcus, and decreased Prevotella strains compared to healthy controls and MS patients with no disease activity. We demonstrated that the intestinal TH17 cell frequency is inversely related to the relative abundance of Prevotella strains in the human small intestine. Our data demonstrate that brain autoimmunity is associated with specific microbiota modifications and excessive TH17 cell expansion in the human intestine.

The Communication of Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis: The Patients' Perspective.

Background. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the leading cause of nontraumatic neurological disability in young adults in Europe and in the United States. The uncertainty regarding its evolution makes the diagnosis disclosure a difficult process. Objective. The aim of the study was to provide patients' global perspective towards MS diagnosis communication. Methods. 150 consecutive patients, recently diagnosed with CIS or MS, were asked to complete a 17-item questionnaire assessing factors influencing their satisfaction with the information provided. Results. Eighty-six patients fulfilled diagnostic criteria for MS and 64 for CIS. Diagnosis disclosure took place in a private setting and required in most cases (87.3%) less than 30 minutes. Most patients reported being moderately or highly satisfied with the information provided (75%). The degree of satisfaction seems significantly related to patients' younger age, a longer time dedicated to disclose the diagnosis, a CIS diagnosis, and, above all, tailored information and an adequate emotional support. Conclusion. Most patients reported a good degree of satisfaction about the communication of MS or CIS diagnosis. A fruitful relationship between patient and neurologist is essential to obtain a better acceptance of the disease, patients' compliance with chronic treatments and to improve patients' quality of life.

Clinical significance of the number of oligoclonal bands in patients with clinically isolated syndromes.

CSF oligoclonal bands (OCBs) in patients with clinically isolated syndromes (CIS) are a risk factor for clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS). We aimed to address the relevance of the number of OCBs in the prognosis of CIS patients. 219 CIS patients were included in the study, and 42% of them developed the disease during follow-up (median: 5.04 years). Patients with a high number of CSF OCBs (third quartile, 8-12 OCBs) had 2.5-fold increase in CDMS risk, while no further increase in the HR of disease was observed for patients with more than 12 OCBs. The results did not change after adjustment for additional correlates of CDMS development. This association may be due to the epitope-spreading phenomenon and may reflect the stage of the disease at the time of the examination.

Myeloid cells as target of fingolimod action in multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To track the effects of fingolimod, an approved drug for multiple sclerosis (MS), on the activation of myeloid cells from the periphery to the CNS. METHODS: In vitro and ex vivo immunologic studies coupled with flow cytometry were performed to evaluate the action of fingolimod on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of activation markers in human monocytes from healthy participants, participants with untreated MS, and participants with fingolimod-treated MS. In vivo administration of fingolimod during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was established to verify the activation state of splenic, CNS infiltrating, and CNS resident myeloid cells ex vivo at flow cytometer. RESULTS: We found that in vitro exposure of human monocytes to fingolimod inhibited LPS-induced CD25 and CD150 expression and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) secretion without altering immune cell survival. Further, EAE treatment with fingolimod led to reduced amounts of TNF-α produced by myeloid cells in vivo in the spleen and CNS. Finally, while displaying normal induction of CD25 and CD150 levels at high LPS concentration, monocytes from patients with fingolimod-treated MS showed significantly higher activation threshold at suboptimal LPS stimulation than controls. CONCLUSIONS: The inhibition of myeloid cell activation may be part of the immunosuppressive action of fingolimod and take place in the periphery and in the CNS.

Treatment of myelitis in Behçet's disease with rituximab.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that involves the parenchymal central nervous system (neuro-BD, NBD) approximately in 5-49% of patients, causing lesions rarely located in the spinal cord (SC). We report the first case of NBD-myelitis treated with intravenous rituximab. A 41-year-old man affected by BD presented with mild paraparesis with a miliary involvement and a 'net-like' gadolinium enhancement (Gde) of the SC. After a therapeutic attempt with pulsed cyclophosphamide and intravenous methylprednisolone, the clinical and neuroradiological course worsened. A progressive improvement was observed after rituximab administration associated with low doses of oral prednisone. No disease activity was detected and the patient reported no adverse event. After six rituximab cycles, cervical MRI was normal while thoracic MRI showed a slight T2-weighted hyperintensity of D4-D10 spinal tract without Gde. A combined use of rituximab and oral steroids resulted in a long-term suppression of NBD activity without any safety concern.

Presentation and validation of the multiple sclerosis depression rating scale: a test specifically devised to investigate affective disorders in multiple sclerosis patients.

Accurate diagnosis of depression in patients affected by MS is important, as it may be a cause of reduced quality of life and increased suicide risk. We present a new scale, the Multiple Sclerosis Depression Rating Scale (MSDRS), and assess its diagnostic accuracy in comparison to the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). A total of 94 MS participants were classified as non-depressed (N = 44) or affected by mood disorder associated to MS with depressive manifestations (MSD-MDDM; N = 37) or with a major depression-like episode (MSD-MDL; N = 13). Each participant underwent a psychiatric interview, MSDRS, and BDI; diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using area under the ROC curve (AROC). The diagnostic accuracy of MSDRS and BDI was comparable when diagnosing both MSD-MDDM and MSD-MDL (AROC respectively 0.8998 and 0.8659); the MSDRS showed higher accuracy for the diagnosis of MSD-MDL (AROC respectively 0.9278 and 0.8314; p = .038). The MSDRS may be a reliable tool for the diagnosis of depression in MS.

The cortical signature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The aim of this study was to explore the pattern of regional cortical thickness in patients with non-familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to investigate whether cortical thinning is associated with disease progression rate. Cortical thickness analysis was performed in 44 ALS patients and 26 healthy controls. Group differences in cortical thickness and the age-by-group effects were assessed using vertex-by-vertex and multivariate linear models. The discriminatory ability of MRI variables in distinguishing patients from controls was estimated using the Concordance Statistics (C-statistic) within logistic regression analyses. Correlations between cortical thickness measures and disease progression rate were tested using the Pearson coefficient. Relative to controls, ALS patients showed a bilateral cortical thinning of the primary motor, prefrontal and ventral frontal cortices, cingulate gyrus, insula, superior and inferior temporal and parietal regions, and medial and lateral occipital areas. There was a significant age-by-group effect in the sensorimotor cortices bilaterally, suggesting a stronger association between age and cortical thinning in ALS patients compared to controls. The mean cortical thickness of the sensorimotor cortices distinguished patients with ALS from controls (C-statistic ≥ 0.74). Cortical thinning of the left sensorimotor cortices was related to a faster clinical progression (r = -0.33, p = 0.03). Cortical thickness measurements allowed the detection and quantification of motor and extramotor involvement in patients with ALS. Cortical thinning of the precentral gyrus might offer a marker of upper motor neuron involvement and disease progression.