CSF parameters associated with early MRI activity in patients with MS.

Objective: To identify CSF parameters at diagnosis of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and MS that are associated with early inflammatory disease activity as measured by standardized cerebral MRI (cMRI).

Methods: One hundred forty-nine patients with newly diagnosed CIS and MS were included in the retrospective study. cMRI at onset and after 12 months was analyzed for T2 and gadolinium-enhancing lesions.

Fatigue in multiple sclerosis: Associations with clinical, MRI and CSF parameters.

Background: Damage of different brain structures has been related to fatigue. Alternatively, functional alterations of central nervous system (CNS) cells by the inflammatory milieu within the CNS may be responsible for the development of fatigue.

Aim: To investigate the effect of structural brain damage and inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) changes on fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Prevalence of neuropathic pain in early multiple sclerosis.

Background: Pain is considered a frequent symptom in multiple sclerosis. Neuropathic pain is the type of pain most closely related to the pathology of multiple sclerosis and its prevalence estimates vary largely.

Objective: We prospectively assessed the prevalence of neuropathic pain in patients with early multiple sclerosis and investigated the association of neuropathic pain with other clinical parameters.

Analysis of immune-related loci identifies 48 new susceptibility variants for multiple sclerosis.

Using the ImmunoChip custom genotyping array, we analyzed 14,498 subjects with multiple sclerosis and 24,091 healthy controls for 161,311 autosomal variants and identified 135 potentially associated regions (P < 1.0 × 10(-4)). In a replication phase, we combined these data with previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from an independent 14,802 subjects with multiple sclerosis and 26,703 healthy controls.

Natalizumab treatment decreases serum IgM and IgG levels in multiple sclerosis patients.

Background: Treatment with natalizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against alpha4beta1 integrin, is associated with an increase in lymphoid progenitor cells and B cells in peripheral blood.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the impact of natalizumab therapy on serum levels of total IgG, IgA and IgM in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: In two independent cross-sectional patient cohorts, serum levels of IgG, IgA and IgM were compared between patients treated with natalizumab and those not receiving natalizumab.

Update on immunopathogenesis and immunotherapy in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Both genetic and environmental factors are believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. Histopathological findings suggest that multiple sclerosis is an immune-mediated disease, involving both the cellular and humoral immune systems.

Antibodies to native myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in children with inflammatory demyelinating central nervous system disease.

Objective: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) is a candidate target antigen in demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Although MOG is encephalitogenic in different animal models, the relevance of this antigen in human autoimmune diseases of the CNS is still controversial.

Methods: We investigated the occurrence and biological activity of antibodies to native MOG (nMOG) in 47 children during a first episode of CNS demyelination (acute disseminated encephalomyelitis [ADEM], n = 19 and clinical isolated syndrome [CIS], n = 28) by a cell-based bioassay.