Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data
Published on: December 9, 2015
Influence of treatment in multiple sclerosis disability: an open, retrospective, non-randomized long-term analysis
Lineu Cesar Werneck1, Paulo José Lorenzoni, Vitor A Radünz
1Neurology Division Unit of Demyelinating Diseases, Internal Medicine Department, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil. werneck@ufpr.br
Unlabelled:
The efficacies of immunosuppressive (IMS) and immunomodulatory (IMM) drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS) have been reported in several studies. These agents can reduce relapse rates and lesions observed by magnetic resonance imaging studies. However, the effect of these medications in disability progression over 4 years is rarely examined.
Objective:
To study the disabilities associated with MS patients after a long time period and to analyze the therapeutic influence of different types of treatments in patient disease progression.
Method:
This is an open, uncontrolled, non-randomized, retrospective study of the disease progression using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and the Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS) in 155 cases of MS, which were 76% female with a mean age of onset of 30.21+/-9.70. The follow-up period was 115.39+/-88.08 months (median 92, 3 to 447 months). These cases were submitted to the following 277 different therapeutic procedures: 62 without IMS or IMM therapy (SYT) (just corticosteroids), 53 with azathioprine (AZA), 53 interferon-beta (IFNbeta)-1b 250 microg (BET), 55 IFNbeta-1a 22 microg (R22), 19 IFNbeta-1a 30 microg (AVO), 15 IFNbeta-1a 44 microg (R44), 15 glatiramer acetate (COP) 20 mg, and 5 cases with mitoxantrone (MIT).
Results:
The median EDSS group was 2.00 (0 to 5.5, mean 1.89+/-1.52) at the onset of each treatment and 2.50 (0 to 9, mean 3.06+/-2.18) at the end. The median initial MSSS was 3.34 (0.25 to 9.50, mean 3.94+/-2.91) and the final medial was 3.90 (0.05 to 9.88, mean 4.02+/-2.78). The EDSS between initial and final score for the whole group had statistically significant progression, as well as for the sub-groups SYT, AZA, BET and R22. No statistically significance difference was found in the MSSS between initial and final scores in the whole group or treatment sub-groups. The variation between the initial and final EDSS and MSSS among the types of treatments found no statistical significance for any group.
Conclusion:
In this study series, no statistical difference was found in the long-term progression of disability among the IMS and IMM treated cases, nor in the cases treated only with corticosteroids.
Insights
This study found no significant long-term disability progression differences in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with various immunosuppressive (IMS) and immunomodulatory (IMM) drugs compared to those receiving only corticosteroids. The analysis examined disability progression over an extended period.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments, including immunosuppressive (IMS) and immunomodulatory (IMM) drugs, are known to reduce relapse rates and MRI-detected lesions.
- However, their long-term impact on disability progression in MS patients remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate long-term disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
- To analyze the influence of different therapeutic strategies, including IMS and IMM drugs, on disease progression over an extended follow-up period.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective, open-label, non-randomized study was conducted on 155 MS patients.
- Disease progression was assessed using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS) over a median follow-up of 92 months.
- Patients received various treatments, including corticosteroids alone (SYT), azathioprine (AZA), interferon-beta (IFNbeta) formulations (BET, R22, AVO, R44), glatiramer acetate (COP), and mitoxantrone (MIT).
Main Results:
- The overall group showed statistically significant progression in EDSS scores from baseline to follow-up.
- Sub-groups receiving SYT, AZA, BET, and R22 also demonstrated significant EDSS progression.
- No statistically significant differences in disability progression (EDSS or MSSS) were observed among the different treatment groups or when comparing them to the corticosteroid-only group.
Conclusions:
- This study series indicates no statistically significant difference in long-term disability progression among MS patients treated with various immunosuppressive (IMS) and immunomodulatory (IMM) therapies.
- The findings also suggest no significant difference in long-term disability progression for patients treated solely with corticosteroids compared to those on IMS or IMM therapies.
