Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Sep 6:2:2055217316666406.
doi: 10.1177/2055217316666406. eCollection 2016 Jan-Dec.

Prognostic factors for long-term outcomes in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Anthony L Traboulsee  1 , Peter Cornelisseª  2 , Magnhild Sandberg-Wollheim  3 , Bernard Mj Uitdehaag  4 , Ludwig Kappos  5 , Peter J Jongen  6 , Cris S Constantinescu  7 , Elisabetta Verdun di Cantogno  8 , David Kb Li  9
Affiliations

Prognostic factors for long-term outcomes in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Anthony L Traboulsee et al. Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. .

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this article is to investigate potential clinical and MRI predictors of long-term outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: This was a post hoc analysis using data from all 382 patients in the PRISMS long-term follow-up (LTFU) study collected up to eight years after randomisation. An additional analysis was performed including only those patients originally randomised to receive early subcutaneous interferon (IFN) β-1a (n = 259). Baseline/prestudy variables, indicators of early clinical and MRI activity (baseline to month 24), and indicators of IFN β-1a treatment exposure (including medication possession ratio (MPR)) were investigated as candidate prognostic factors for outcomes measured from baseline and from month 24 to LTFU. Explanatory variables identified from univariate regression models (p ≤ 0.15) were selected for inclusion in stepwise multiple regression models.

Results: Candidate prognostic factors selected by the univariate analysis (p ≤ 0.15) included age, MS duration, baseline brain volume, EDSS score, and log(T2 burden of disease (BOD)). In most of the multivariate regression models applied, higher baseline brain volume and MPR predicted better long-term clinical outcomes, while higher baseline and greater early increase in EDSS score predicted worse outcomes.

Conclusion: Identification of markers that may be prognostic for long-term disability could help identify MS patients at higher risk of disability progression.

Keywords: Disability; MRI; follow up; long-term outcomes; multiple sclerosis; prognosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMS study design and LTFU analysis sets. Early-start patients received treatment from baseline of the current study. Patients with delayed-start treatment received IFN β-1a after a period of two years. IFN: interferon; LTFU: long-term follow-up; PRISMS: Prevention of Relapses and Disability by Interferon beta-1a Subcutaneously in Multiple Sclerosis; sc: subcutaneously; tiw: three times weekly.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Morrissey SP, Miller DH, Kendall BE, et al. The significance of brain magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities at presentation with clinically isolated syndromes suggestive of multiple sclerosis. A 5-year follow-up study. Brain 1993; 116(Pt 1): 135–146. - PubMed
    1. Bielekova B, Martin R. Development of biomarkers in multiple sclerosis. Brain 2004; 127: 1463–1478. - PubMed
    1. Fisher E, Rudick RA, Simon JH, et al. Eight-year follow-up study of brain atrophy in patients with MS. Neurology 2002; 59: 1412–1420. - PubMed
    1. PRISMS Study Group. Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study of interferon beta-1a in relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis. Lancet 1998; 352: 1498–1504. - PubMed
    1. Kappos L, Traboulsee A, Constantinescu C, et al. Long-term subcutaneous interferon beta-1a therapy in patients with relapsing–remitting MS. Neurology 2006; 67: 944–953. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources