Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in People With Active Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Uncontrolled evidence suggests that autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) can be effective in people with active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). In this study, we compared the effect of AHSCT with that of other anti-inflammatory disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) on long-term disability worsening in active SPMS. METHODS: We collected data from the Italian Bone Marrow Transplantation Study Group and the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Register. Patients were considered eligible if treatment had been started after the diagnosis of SPMS. Disability worsening was assessed by the cumulative proportion of patients with a 6-month confirmed disability progression (CDP) according to the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score. Key secondary endpoints were the EDSS time trend after treatment start and the prevalence of disability improvement over time. Time to first CDP was assessed by means of proportional hazard Cox regression models. A linear mixed model with a time × treatment group interaction was used to assess the longitudinal EDSS time trends. Prevalence of improvement was estimated using a modified Kaplan-Meier estimator and compared between groups by bootstrapping the area under the curve. RESULTS: Seventy-nine AHSCT-treated patients and 1975 patients treated with other DMTs (beta interferons, azathioprine, glatiramer-acetate, mitoxantrone, fingolimod, natalizumab, methotrexate, teriflunomide, cyclophosphamide, dimethyl fumarate, and alemtuzumab) were matched to reduce treatment selection bias using propensity score and overlap weighting approaches. Time to first CDP was significantly longer in transplanted patients (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.31-0.81; p = 0.005), with 61.7% of transplanted patients free from CPD at 5 years. Accordingly, EDSS time trend over 10 years was higher in patients treated with other DMTs than in AHSCT-treated patients (+0.157 EDSS points per year compared with -0.013 EDSS points per year; interaction p < 0.001). Patients who underwent AHSCT were more likely to experience a sustained disability improvement: 34.7% of patients maintained an improvement (a lower EDSS than baseline) 3 years after transplant vs 4.6% of patients treated by other DMTs (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: The use of AHSCT in people with active SPMS is associated with a slowing of disability progression and a higher likelihood of disability improvement compared with standard immunotherapy. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class III evidence that autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplants prolonged the time to CDP compared with other DMTs.

Increased Levels of Endothelin-1 in Cerebrospinal Fluid Are a Marker of Poor Visual Recovery after Optic Neuritis in Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic inflammatory and degenerative disease of the central nervous system, typically features immune-mediated focal demyelination and secondary axonal degeneration. Cerebral hypoperfusion of the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) has been reported in MS patients and may be mediated by elevated levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a most potent vasoconstrictive peptide released from reactive astrocytes in MS focal lesions. Optic neuritis (ON) is one of the most frequent manifestations of MS and also shows peripapillary vascular hypoperfusion in combination with disc swelling. AIMS: We aimed to compare serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of ET-1 as a potential prognostic marker of MS-ON in two groups of patients differing for severity of MS-ON clinical presentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study to compare serum and CSF levels of ET-1 between patients with clinically aggressive MS-ON (A-MS-ON) and nonaggressive MS-ON (NA-MS-ON) according to conventional ophthalmological criteria, including optical coherence tomography. CSF and serum concentrations of ET-1 were measured using a commercially available ELISA method. RESULTS: Sixteen patients consecutively referred to the Units of Neurology for visual disturbances attributable to MS were recruited, 11 (69%) patients with A-MS-ON and 5 (31%) with NA-MS-ON. Median CSF ET-1 levels and CSF/serum ET-1 quotient were significantly higher in patients with A-MS-ON (0.30 vs. 0.56 ng/ml) as compared to NA-MS-ON (0.16 vs. 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: Severity and failure in the recovery from ON in MS patients may depend from vascular hypoperfusion of the optic nerve induced by high intrathecally produced ET-1, a potential prognostic marker of ON recovery in MS. The detection of CSF ET-1 levels may allow identifying groups of ON patients potentially benefitting from treatment with ET-1 antagonists (e.g., bosentan).

The real-world effectiveness of natalizumab and fingolimod in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. An Italian multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: Both natalizumab and fingolimod are highly effective in the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). In the absence of head-to-head trials, some observational studies have compared their efficacy with conflicting results. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of natalizumab and fingolimod in a cohort of RRMS patients in an observational, retrospective study. METHODS: We included all consecutive RRMS patients who started natalizumab or fingolimod in three MS centres with a follow-up to 24 months and analysed clinical and brain MRI data after propensity score (PS) matching. RESULTS: After 1:1 PS-matching, we retained 102 patients in both groups, with similar baseline features. After 24 months, although both drugs resulted highly effective, patients treated with natalizumab had a lower relapse risk (HR 0.59 CI 95% 0.35-1.00, p = 0.048) and higher time to first relapse. MRI-combined-unique-activity was found in 31.8% of natalizumab vs 43.2% of fingolimod treated patients (p = 0.28). We found a higher proportion of patients with confirmed regression of disability (19.2 vs 6.7%, p = 0.03) and 2-year no evidence of disease activity (NEDA-3, 39.0% vs 22.0%, p = 0.04) in the natalizumab group. CONCLUSIONS: Both drugs were highly effective in our cohort. Natalizumab proved superior in inducing regression of disability and 2-year-NEDA-3.

De novo exonic duplication of ATP1A2 in Italian patient with hemiplegic migraine: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Sporadic Hemiplegic Migraine is a rare form of migraine headache. Mutations in three different genes, two ion-channel genes and one encoding an ATP exchanger, CACNA1A, ATP1A2 and SCN1A are all responsible for the FHM phenotype, thus indicating a genetic heterogeneity for this disorder. Here, we described a de novo exonic duplication of ATP1A2 in an Italian patient with Hemiplegic Migraine. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a young woman (33 year old) who suffered from the age of 8 years of episodic weakness of the limbs, associated to other subjective and objective features. From aged 25, she developed neurological symptoms, like dizziness, blurred vision and an MRI scan revealed aspecific peritrigonal white matter hyperintensities. Aged 32 she suffered of right hemisomatic sudden-onset paresthesias, hypoesthesia and hyposthenia and the patient was genetically investigated for sporadic hemiplegic migraine. CONCLUSIONS: Here we report, for the first time, an exonic duplication in the ATP1A2 associated with hemiplegic migraine. The variation identified involves exon 21 of the ATP1A2 and is expected to alter the function of the alpha(2) subunit of the Na(+)/K(+) pump; the de novo nature of the duplication further supports its pathogenic role. To date, no other CNVs have been described in the ATP1A2 but only point mutations are reported. The novel mutation may result impaired M9 transmembrane domain, in a loss-of-function of the alpha(2) Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase with glutamate accumulation, alteration of synaptic function and neurotransmission.

Evaluation of Clinical Gait Analysis parameters in patients affected by Multiple Sclerosis: Analysis of kinematics.

BACKGROUND: Clinical Gait Analysis is commonly used to evaluate specific gait characteristics of patients affected by Multiple Sclerosis. The aim of this report is to present a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the changes in Clinical Gait Analysis parameters in patients affected by Multiple Sclerosis. METHODS: In this study a sample of 51 patients with different levels of disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale 2-6.5) was analyzed. We extracted a set of 52 parameters from the Clinical Gait Analysis of each patient and used statistical analysis and linear regression to assess differences among several groups of subjects stratified according to the Expanded Disability Status Scale and 6-Minutes Walking Test. The impact of assistive devices (e.g. canes and crutches) on the kinematics was also assessed in a subsample of patients. FINDINGS: Subjects showed decreased range of motion at hip, knee and ankle that translated in increased pelvic tilt and hiking. Comparison between the two stratifications showed that gait speed during 6-Minutes Walking Test is better at discriminating patients' kinematics with respect to Expanded Disability Status Scale. Assistive devices were shown not to significantly impact gait kinematics and the Clinical Gait Analysis parameters analyzed. INTERPRETATION: We were able to characterize disability-related trends in gait kinematics. The results presented in this report provide a small atlas of the changes in gait characteristics associated with different disability levels in the Multiple Sclerosis population. This information could be used to effectively track the progression of MS and the effect of different therapies.

Concomitant rheumatoid arthritis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: report of two new cases and review of literature.

To describe a rare association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Two new cases of patients with RA who developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), one receiving anti-TNFα agents, were reported. Only other five cases of this rare association have been previously described in literature. The simultaneous presence of the two diseases represents a difficult diagnostic challenge because RA may mimic some musculoskeletal symptoms of ALS. There is no evidence in favor of a common pathophysiologic mechanism, and thus the possibility of a fortuitous association must be raised. A neurotoxic side effect of various drugs for RA treatment could be considered. Casual or causal association remains a difficult choice. The possibility of a coincidental association must be raised but neurologic side effects of TNFα blockers lead to discussion.