Effects of disease-modifying therapies on lipid parameters in patients with multiple sclerosis

Cholesterol and lipids are essential components of nerve cells. Myelin synthesis and stabilization is a cholesterol-dependent process. It has been shown in several studies that high plasma cholesterol levels may be associated with clinical deterioration in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). There is scarce information about the effects of disease-modifying treatment (DMTs) on lipid profile. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of DMTs on plasma lipid profiles in MS patients.

The records of 380 MS patients who were still under follow-up were analyzed in terms of age, sex, disease duration, EDSS scores, serum lipid levels, and used DMTs. The data of patients receiving Interferon (n = 53), Glatiramer acetate (n = 25), Fingolimod (n = 44), Teriflunomide (n = 24), Dimethyl fumarate (n = 7) and Ocrelizumab (n = 14) were compared with the data of control group (n = 53).

A total of 220 patients, 157 women, and 63 men, were included in the study. The average age of the participants in the study was 39.83 ± 10.21 years, mean disease duration was 8.45 ± 6.56 years, and the EDSS score was 2.25 ± 1.97. Although, Lipid parameters were higher in MS patients using Fingolimod the difference cannot reach the statistical significance.

No significant relationship was found between the DMTs that MS patients had been using for the last six months and their cholesterol levels.