Demographic, clinical and MRI characteristics of HC and patients with MS
| Demographic and clinical variables | HC (n=175) | MS (n=489) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Females, n (%) | 123 (70.7) | 345 (70.6) | 0.247 |
| Age in years, mean (SD) | 46.4 (13.7) | 47.3 (10.9) | 0.374 |
| Age at onset, mean (SD) | – | 32.3 (9.9) | – |
| Expanded Disability Status Scale, median (IQR) | – | 3.0 (8.5) | – |
| Disease duration in years, mean (SD) | – | 15.1 (10.5) | – |
| Race, n (%) | |||
| Caucasian | 147 (84) | 449 (91.8) | 0.424 |
| African–American | 16 (9.1) | 18 (3.7) | |
| Other | 12 (6.9) | 22 (4.5) | |
| Disease-modifying therapy, n (%) | |||
| No therapy | – | 132 (26.7) | – |
| Interferon β-1a intramuscular | 118 (24.1) | ||
| Glatiramer acetate | 98 (20) | ||
| Natalizumab | 73 (14.9) | ||
| Interferon β-1a subcutaneous | 40 (7.9) | ||
| Combination therapy | 28 (6.7) | ||
| MRI variables, mean (SD) | |||
| T2-LN | 2.5 (6.7) | 28.9 (19.7) | <0.0001 |
| T2-LV | 0.3 (1.1) | 13.9 (15.8) | <0.0001 |
| T1-LN | – | 11.3 (11.7) | – |
| T1-LV | – | 3.2 (6.1) | – |
| NBPV | 1523.9 (81.4) | 1468.6 (92.9) | <0.0001 |
| NGMV | 768 (52.1) | 731 (65.5) | <0.0001 |
| NWMV | 755.9 (67) | 737.6 (66.4) | 0.0001 |
| NLVV | 33.6 (13.7) | 49.8 (22.3) | <0.0001 |
Differences between groups were analysed by the χ2 test and analysis of variance. MRI differences between groups were analysed using the analysis of covariance, adjusted for age and sex. MRI volumes are expressed in millilitres.
BMI, body mass index; HC, healthy controls; LN, lesion number; LV, lesion volume; MS, multiple sclerosis; NBPV, normalised brain parenchymal volume; NGMV, normalised grey matter volume; NLVV, normalised lateral ventricle volume; NWMV, normalised white matter volume.