Immunomodulatory therapies delay disease progression in multiple sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 06/01/2012
Clinical Article
Bergamaschi R et al. – Disease modifying drugs (DMDs) significantly reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis progression both in patients with initial high–risk and patients with initial low–risk. These findings reinforce the role of DMDs in modifying the natural course of the disease, suggesting that they have a positive effect not only on the inflammatory but also on the neurodegenerative process. The study also confirms the capability of the Bayesian risk estimate for multiple sclerosis (BREMS) score to predict MS evolution.
Methods- MS patients from three different Italian multiple sclerosis centres were divided into subgroups according to the presence of treatment in their disease history before the endpoint, which was represented by secondary progression.
- Patients were stratified on the basis of the risk score BREMS (Bayesian risk estimate for multiple sclerosis), which is able to predict the unfavourable long–term evolution of MS at an early stage.
- The authors analysed data from 1178 patients with a relapsing form of multiple sclerosis at onset and at least 10 years of disease duration, treated (59%) or untreated with DMDs.
- The risk of secondary progression was significantly lower in patients treated with DMDs, regardless of the initial prognosis predicted by BREMS.
