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- Kuhle, J., et al.
(author)
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Conversion from clinically isolated syndrome to multiple sclerosis: A large multicentre study
- 2015
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In: Multiple Sclerosis Journal. - : SAGE Publications. - 1352-4585 .- 1477-0970. ; 21:8, s. 1013-1024
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and objective: We explored which clinical and biochemical variables predict conversion from clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) to clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS) in a large international cohort. Methods: Thirty-three centres provided serum samples from 1047 CIS cases with at least two years' follow-up. Age, sex, clinical presentation, T2-hyperintense lesions, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) oligoclonal bands (OCBs), CSF IgG index, CSF cell count, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OH-D), cotinine and IgG titres against Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) and cytomegalovirus were tested for association with risk of CDMS. Results: At median follow-up of 4.31 years, 623 CIS cases converted to CDMS. Predictors of conversion in multivariable analyses were OCB (HR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.71-2.77, p < 0.001), number of T2 lesions (two to nine lesions vs 0/1 lesions: HR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.52-2.55, p < 0.001; >9 lesions vs 0/1 lesions: HR = 2.74, 95% CI = 2.04-3.68, p < 0.001) and age at CIS (HR per year inversely increase = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.98-0.99, p < 0.001). Lower 25-OH-D levels were associated with CDMS in univariable analysis, but this was attenuated in the multivariable model. OCB positivity was associated with higher EBNA-1 IgG titres. Conclusions: We validated MRI lesion load, OCB and age at CIS as the strongest independent predictors of conversion to CDMS in this multicentre setting. A role for vitamin D is suggested but requires further investigation.
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- Sawcer, Stephen, et al.
(author)
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Genetic risk and a primary role for cell-mediated immune mechanisms in multiple sclerosis
- 2011
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 476:7359, s. 214-219
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Multiple sclerosis is a common disease of the central nervous system in which the interplay between inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes typically results in intermittent neurological disturbance followed by progressive accumulation of disability. Epidemiological studies have shown that genetic factors are primarily responsible for the substantially increased frequency of the disease seen in the relatives of affected individuals, and systematic attempts to identify linkage in multiplex families have confirmed that variation within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) exerts the greatest individual effect on risk. Modestly powered genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have enabled more than 20 additional risk loci to be identified and have shown that multiple variants exerting modest individual effects have a key role in disease susceptibility. Most of the genetic architecture underlying susceptibility to the disease remains to be defined and is anticipated to require the analysis of sample sizes that are beyond the numbers currently available to individual research groups. In a collaborative GWAS involving 9,772 cases of European descent collected by 23 research groups working in 15 different countries, we have replicated almost all of the previously suggested associations and identified at least a further 29 novel susceptibility loci. Within the MHC we have refined the identity of the HLA-DRB1 risk alleles and confirmed that variation in the HLA-A gene underlies the independent protective effect attributable to the class I region. Immunologically relevant genes are significantly overrepresented among those mapping close to the identified loci and particularly implicate T-helper-cell differentiation in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.
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- Brune, S., et al.
(author)
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Serum neurofilament light chain concentration predicts disease worsening in multiple sclerosis
- 2022
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In: Multiple Sclerosis Journal. - : SAGE Publications. - 1352-4585 .- 1477-0970. ; 28:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Serum neurofilament light (sNfL) chain is a promising biomarker reflecting neuro-axonal injury in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the ability of sNfL to predict outcomes in real-world MS cohorts requires further validation. Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate the associations of sNfL concentration, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) markers with disease worsening in a longitudinal European multicentre MS cohort. Methods: MS patients (n = 309) were prospectively enrolled at four centres and re-examined after 2 years (n = 226). NfL concentration was measured by single molecule array assay in serum. The patients' phenotypes were thoroughly characterized with clinical examination, retinal OCT and MRI brain scans. The primary outcome was disease worsening at median 2-year follow-up. Results: Patients with high sNfL concentrations (> 8 pg/mL) at baseline had increased risk of disease worsening at median 2-year follow-up (odds ratio (95% confidence interval) = 2.8 (1.5-5.3), p = 0.001). We found no significant associations of MRI or OCT measures at baseline with risk of disease worsening. Conclusion: Serum NfL concentration was the only factor associated with disease worsening, indicating that sNfL is a useful biomarker in MS that might be relevant in a clinical setting.
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- Rise, H. H., et al.
(author)
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Brain disconnectome mapping derived from white matter lesions and serum neurofilament light levels in multiple sclerosis: A longitudinal multicenter study
- 2022
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In: Neuroimage-Clinical. - : Elsevier BV. - 2213-1582. ; 35
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and Objectives: Connectivity-based approaches incorporating the distribution and magnitude of the extended brain network aberrations caused by lesions may offer higher sensitivity for axonal damage in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) than conventional lesion characteristics. Using individual brain disconnectome mapping, we tested the longitudinal associations between putative imaging-based brain network aberrations and levels of serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) as a neuroaxonal injury biomarker. Methods: MS patients (n = 312, mean age 42.9 years, 71 % female) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 59, mean age 39.9 years, 78 % female) were prospectively enrolled at four European MS centres, and reassessed after two years (MS, n = 242; HC, n = 30). Post-processing of 3 Tesla (3 T) MRI data was performed at one centre using a harmonized pipeline, and disconnectome maps were calculated using BCBtoolkit based on individual lesion maps. Global disconnectivity (GD) was defined as the average disconnectome probability in each patient's white matter. Serum NfL concentrations were measured by single molecule array (Simoa). Robust linear mixed models (rLMM) with GD or T2-lesion volume (T2LV) as dependent variables, patient as a random factor, serum NfL, age, sex, timepoint for visit, diagnosis, treatment, and center as fixed factors were run. Results: rLMM revealed significant associations between GD and serum NfL (t = 2.94, p = 0.003), age (t = 4.21, p = 2.5 x 10(-5)), and longitudinal changes in NfL (t =-2.29, p = 0.02), but not for sex (t = 0.63, p = 0.53) or treatments (t = 0.80-0.83, p = 0.41-0.42). Voxel-wise analyses revealed significant associations between dysconnectivity in cerebellar and brainstem regions and serum NfL (t = 7.03, p < 0.001). Discussion: In our prospective multi-site MS cohort, rLMMs demonstrated that the extent of global and regional brain disconnectivity is sensitive to a systemic biomarker of axonal damage, serum NfL, in patients with MS. These findings provide a neuroaxonal correlate of advanced disconnectome mapping and provide a platform for further investigations of the functional and potential clinical relevance of brain disconnectome mapping in patients with brain disorders.
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- Brune-Ingebretsen, S., et al.
(author)
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Immune cell subpopulations and serum neurofilament light chain are associated with increased risk of disease worsening in multiple sclerosis
- 2023
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In: Journal of Neuroimmunology. - 0165-5728. ; 382
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Changes is lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood have been proposed as biomarkers for evaluation of disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) is a biomarker reflecting neuro-axonal injury in MS that could be used to monitor disease activity, response to drugs and to prognosticate disease course. Here we show a moderate correlation between sNfL and lymphocyte cell subpopulations, and our data furthermore suggest that sNfL and specific immune cell subpopulations together could predict future disease worsening in MS.
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- Kotelnikova, E, et al.
(author)
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Signaling networks in MS: a systems-based approach to developing new pharmacological therapies
- 2015
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In: Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England). - : SAGE Publications. - 1477-0970 .- 1352-4585. ; 21:2, s. 138-146
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) involves alterations to multiple pathways and processes, which represent a significant challenge for developing more-effective therapies. Systems biology approaches that study pathway dysregulation should offer benefits by integrating molecular networks and dynamic models with current biological knowledge for understanding disease heterogeneity and response to therapy. In MS, abnormalities have been identified in several cytokine-signaling pathways, as well as those of other immune receptors. Among the downstream molecules implicated are Jak/Stat, NF-Kb, ERK1/3, p38 or Jun/Fos. Together, these data suggest that MS is likely to be associated with abnormalities in apoptosis/cell death, microglia activation, blood-brain barrier functioning, immune responses, cytokine production, and/or oxidative stress, although which pathways contribute to the cascade of damage and can be modulated remains an open question. While current MS drugs target some of these pathways, others remain untouched. Here, we propose a pragmatic systems analysis approach that involves the large-scale extraction of processes and pathways relevant to MS. These data serve as a scaffold on which computational modeling can be performed to identify disease subgroups based on the contribution of different processes. Such an analysis, targeting these relevant MS-signaling pathways, offers the opportunity to accelerate the development of novel individual or combination therapies.
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- Lopez-Soley, E, et al.
(author)
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Diffusion tensor imaging metrics associated with future disability in multiple sclerosis
- 2023
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In: Scientific reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 13:1, s. 3565-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The relationship between brain diffusion microstructural changes and disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) remains poorly understood. We aimed to explore the predictive value of microstructural properties in white (WM) and grey matter (GM), and identify areas associated with mid-term disability in MS patients. We studied 185 patients (71% female; 86% RRMS) with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), timed 25-foot walk (T25FW), nine-hole peg test (9HPT), and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) at two time-points. We used Lasso regression to analyse the predictive value of baseline WM fractional anisotropy and GM mean diffusivity, and to identify areas related to each outcome at 4.1 years follow-up. Motor performance was associated with WM (T25FW: RMSE = 0.524, R2 = 0.304; 9HPT dominant hand: RMSE = 0.662, R2 = 0.062; 9HPT non-dominant hand: RMSE = 0.649, R2 = 0.139), and SDMT with GM diffusion metrics (RMSE = 0.772, R2 = 0.186). Cingulum, longitudinal fasciculus, optic radiation, forceps minor and frontal aslant were the WM tracts most closely linked to motor dysfunction, and temporal and frontal cortex were relevant for cognition. Regional specificity related to clinical outcomes provide valuable information that can be used to develop more accurate predictive models that could improve therapeutic strategies.
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- Lopez-Soley, E, et al.
(author)
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Dynamics and Predictors of Cognitive Impairment along the Disease Course in Multiple Sclerosis
- 2021
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In: Journal of personalized medicine. - : MDPI AG. - 2075-4426. ; 11:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- (1) Background: The evolution and predictors of cognitive impairment (CI) in multiple sclerosis (MS) are poorly understood. We aimed to define the temporal dynamics of cognition throughout the disease course and identify clinical and neuroimaging measures that predict CI. (2) Methods: This paper features a longitudinal study with 212 patients who underwent several cognitive examinations at different time points. Dynamics of cognition were assessed using mixed-effects linear spline models. Machine learning techniques were used to identify which baseline demographic, clinical, and neuroimaging measures best predicted CI. (3) Results: In the first 5 years of MS, we detected an increase in the z-scores of global cognition, verbal memory, and information processing speed, which was followed by a decline in global cognition and memory (p < 0.05) between years 5 and 15. From 15 to 30 years of disease onset, cognitive decline continued, affecting global cognition and verbal memory. The baseline measures that best predicted CI were education, disease severity, lesion burden, and hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex volume. (4) Conclusions: In MS, cognition deteriorates 5 years after disease onset, declining steadily over the next 25 years and more markedly affecting verbal memory. Education, disease severity, lesion burden, and volume of limbic structures predict future CI and may be helpful when identifying at-risk patients.
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- Solana, E, et al.
(author)
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Regional grey matter microstructural changes and volume loss according to disease duration in multiple sclerosis patients
- 2021
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In: Scientific reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1, s. 16805-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The spatio-temporal characteristics of grey matter (GM) impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) are poorly understood. We used a new surface-based diffusion MRI processing tool to investigate regional modifications of microstructure, and we quantified volume loss in GM in a cohort of patients with MS classified into three groups according to disease duration. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between GM changes with disease severity. We studied 54 healthy controls and 247 MS patients classified regarding disease duration: MS1 (less than 5 years, n = 67); MS2 (5–15 years, n = 107); and MS3 (more than15 years, n = 73). We compared GM mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA) and volume between groups, and estimated their clinical associations. Regional modifications in diffusion measures (MD and FA) and volume did not overlap early in the disease, and became widespread in later phases. We found higher MD in MS1 group, mainly in the temporal cortex, and volume reduction in deep GM and left precuneus. Additional MD changes were evident in cingulate and occipital cortices in the MS2 group, coupled to volume reductions in deep GM and parietal and frontal poles. Changes in MD and volume extended to more than 80% of regions in MS3 group. Conversely, increments in FA, with very low effect size, were observed in the parietal cortex and thalamus in MS1 and MS2 groups, and extended to the frontal lobe in the later group. MD and GM changes were associated with white matter lesion load and with physical and cognitive disability. Microstructural integrity loss and atrophy present differential spatial predominance early in MS and accrual over time, probably due to distinct pathogenic mechanisms that underlie tissue damage.
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