Demographic and clinical characteristics in patients with MS and AQP4 +NMOSD without clinical relapses and disability progression at MRI-1
| AQP4+NMOSD (n=27) | RRMS (n=45) | p value | |
| Demographic | |||
| Female (%) | 25/27 (92.6%) | 34/45 (75.6%) | 0.11 |
| Age (years) | 55.0 (16.0) (34–77) | 42.0 (13.0) (19–67) | <0.001* |
| Clinical | |||
| Disease duration (years) | 6.7 (17.2) (0.25–41.2) | 8.4 (12.8) (0.42–34.7) | 0.15 |
| EDSS score | 5.0 (4.0) (1.0–9.0) | 2.5 (3.0) (0.0–7.5) | 0.020* |
| ARR from disease onset | 0.55 (0.60) (0.20–4.00) | 0.50 (0.45) (0.12–2.4) | 0.24 |
| Months from last attack | 22.0 (35.5) (2.4–83) | 35.8 (39.1) (3.1–149) | 0.54 |
| Months from DMD initiation | 11.2 (20.3) (1.2–68.1) | 22.2 (51.0) (1.4–172) | 0.067 |
| Oligoclonal bands positivity | 5/19 (26.3%) | 24/36 (66.7%) | 0.006* |
| Number of patients with a history of | |||
| Optic neuritis | 18/27 (66.7%) | ||
| Myelitis | 23/27 (85.2%) | ||
| Long cord lesion | 16/27 (59.3%) | ||
| Brain stem lesion | 7/27 (25.9%) | ||
| Area postrema syndrome | 2/27 (7.4%) | ||
| Cerebral syndrome | 4/27 (14.8%) | ||
| DMD | |||
| Interferon β−1a | 0 | 10 | |
| Interferon β−1b | 0 | 7 | |
| Fingolimod | 0 | 18 | |
| Dimethyl fumarate | 0 | 4 | |
| Natalizumab | 0 | 2 | |
| Prednisolone | 20 | 0 | |
| Prednisolone+azathioprine | 3 | 0 | |
| Prednisolone+eculizumab | 1 | 0 | |
| None | 3 | 4 |
Data are presented as median number (%) or (IQR) (range). *p<0.05.
Months from DMD initiation indicate period between the start of the same DMD given before MRI-1 and the date MRI-1 was performed.
AQP4 +NMOSD, anti-aquaporin-4 antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder disease; ARR, annualised relapse rate; DMD, disease modifying drug; EDSS, Kurtzke’s Expanded Disability Status Scale; RRMS, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.