Clinical features and disease out come in patients with pediatric and young adult onset Multiple Sclerosis

Clinical features, disease course and prognosis in patients with paediatric and young adult onset multiple sclerosis

Background. Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients develop their first symptoms before adolescence approximately in 5%. Studies comparing clinical and prognostic characteristics in early onset MS, did not show homogeneous results. Objective. Aim of this study was to investigate characteristics of early onset MS patients and compare them with patients who experienced MS onset later. Methods. MS patients diagnosed as affected by MS according to Poser's criteria, were included if they experienced symptoms onset before age 25. They were classified in three groups. Group A: patients who had their onset until they were 16 years old Group B: individuals with onset between 17 and 20 yearsGroup C: patient…

Association between multiple sclerosis, cancer risk, and immunosuppressant treatment: a cohort study

Abstract Background The association between multiple sclerosis (MS) and cancer has long been investigated with conflicting results. Several reports suggest an increased cancer risk among MS patients treated with immunosuppressant (IS) drugs. Methods We performed a cohort study including MS patients recruited at the Neurological Department of the University of Palermo. Mean follow-up period was ten years for the whole cohort. We calculated cancer incidence among patients treated with IS. Incidence rates were compared in the cohort by calculating the relative risk according to length and dose of exposure to IS. Cancer incidence among MS patients was compared to cancer incidence in the general…

Cardiovascular comorbidity in multiple sclerosis patients treated with mitoxantrone therapy: a cohort study

Abstract Background Mitoxantrone (MX) has been used as second line therapy for aggressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Potential cardiotoxic effects of MX limit its use; a cumulative dose of up to 100 mg/m2, has been long considered relatively safe. We calculated the frequency of cardiac side effects in MS patients treated with MX. Methods We performed a cohort study including all MS patients treated with MX at the Neurological Department of the University Hospital of Palermo, Italy. Two hundred-sixty-four MS patients diagnosed according to validated criteria were included and followed-up until the end of September 2010. Patients were treated with MX as a second line therapy if they had no prev…

Frequency of John Cunningham virus (JCV) DNA and of antibodies against JCV in patients affected by multiple sclerosis and their relationship with natalizumab therapy