OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether balance deficit in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), as assessed with eyes opened (EO) and closed (EC), is associated with damage of different structures of the central nervous system (CNS). METHODS: Fifty patients with MS and 20 healthy controls (HCs) underwent static posturography to calculate the ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Toll-like receptor-9 (TLR9) is a potent inducer of innate immune system triggered by infection with viruses, some of them previously related to multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to analyze the possible association of two TLR9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs352162 and rs187084) with ...

BACKGROUND: The cerebrospinal (CSF) constitutes a specific immune micro-environment to the central nervous system, thus it may contain specific biomarkers involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). OBJECTIVES: We aimed to study a large array of inflammatory CSF biomarkers in patients with suspected MS to recognize potential early diagnostic ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine efficacy of Deferasirox (DFX) on total body iron and liver iron concentration (LIC) as estimated by serum ferritin (SF) and liver MRI T2*. METHODS: Thirty patients had baseline MRI T2* of the liver performed to determine LIC before starting DFX therapy and classified as normal >6.3 milliseconds (ms), ...

BACKGROUND: The study of muscle metabolism by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been poorly implemented in multiple sclerosis (MS). Aims of the study were to compare resting muscle oxygen consumption (rmVO2) at gastrocnemius in MS patients and in age-matched healthy controls (HC) measured using NIRS, and to evaluate its possible relationship ...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and epilepsy are common disorders, the co-occurrence of which has been of considerable interest. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical features of epileptic seizures in patients with definite MS including those with pediatric onset (≤16 years of age). Out of 2,300 patients with definite MS ...

Biomarkers capable of predicting the clinical course and the rate of disease progression in multiple sclerosis are currently unavailable. Our objective was to examine if the levels of proteins associated with axonal and neuronal degeneration (Tau, p-Tau and β-amyloid1-42) and T-cell-mediated autoimmunity (osteopontin) are altered in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ...

BACKGROUND: The aetiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) remains unknown. This hampers molecular diagnosis and the discovery of bio-molecular markers. Consequently, MS diagnostic procedures are complex and criteria for assessing therapeutic efficacy are controversial, suggesting that a pathophysiological rather than an aetiological approach to the disease would be more appropriate. In ...

OBJECTIVE: The chemokine receptor CCR5 may be important for the recruitment of pathogenic T cells to the CNS in multiple sclerosis (MS). We hypothesized that this chemokine receptor might still be important for T-cell migration during treatment with anti-very late antigen (VLA)-4 antibody. We therefore analysed whether natalizumab-treated MS patients ...

BACKGROUND: Histamine is an ubiquitous inflammatory mediator of numerous physiological processes. Histamine and its receptors have been implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS) disease pathogenesis. We prospectively enrolled 36 MS patients and 19 age and gender-matched healthy volunteers for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) histamine analysis. FINDINGS: CSF histamine levels in MS patient ...

Due to the lack of markers for migraine, diagnosis relies entirely on symptomatology. The aim is to evaluate the utility of a new near-infrared spectroscopy parameter as potential marker for patients with episodic migraine with (MA+) and without aura (MA-) during the interictal period of migraine. We studied 10 patients ...

BACKGROUND: Several studies analyzing the month of birth (MOB) of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and the risk of the disease have been published; as a whole, MS patients were found to be predominantly born in spring months, leading to the current assumption that MOB is somewhat related to the risk ...

BACKGROUND: Previous research suggested a relationship between low vitamin D and relapse rate. We examined whether vitamin D levels were associated with: 1) MS severity and 2) recent MS relapse activity, in patients treated with natalizumab. METHODS: All patients (n=118) were treated with natalizumab and were tested for vitamin D ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the mean and standard deviation (SD) of the contact quotient (CQ) of the sustained vowels ([a] and [e]) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients versus controls. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-nine subjects (24 patients and 15 controls) participated in this study. Laryngeal electroglottography was performed ...

Objective: To elucidate the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor signal transduction in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the gene expression of TRAF2 (TNF receptor-associated factor 2) and RIP (receptor-interacting protein) in peripheral blood leukocytes of 23 relapsing-remitting (RR), 19 secondary progressive (SP) and ...

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is known to promote the development of T helper 17 cells (Th17) and can be a critical mediator of disease pathogenesis. We analyzed SAA levels in 40 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and related disorders, and 10 with non-inflammatory neurological disease (NIND) as controls. We found ...

BACKGROUND: Initial demyelinating event (IDE) diagnosis and prognosis are not straightforward. OBJECTIVE: To identify potential diagnostic markers and outcome predictors of IDEs suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS), that is, clinically isolated syndromes (CISs). METHODS: Clinically isolated syndrome cases (i.e., subjects with an IDE compatible with MS onset and no alternative ...

Diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) requires the exclusion of other possible diagnoses. For this reason, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) should be routinely analysed in patients with a first clinical event suggestive of MS. CSF analysis is no longer mandatory for diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS, as long as MRI diagnostic criteria ...

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of reliable biomarkers of axonal degeneration. Neurofilaments are promising candidates to fulfil this task. We compared two highly sensitive assays to measure two subunits of the neurofilament protein (neurofilament light (NfL) and neurofilament heavy chain (NfH)). METHODS: We evaluated the analytical and clinical performance of ...

Recent reports on the prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) have described discrepancies between the rates in cities in the northeastern and southeastern regions of Brazil, representing a north-south gradient. European immigrants settled in southeastern and southern Brazil at the beginning of the twentieth century. In this study, we report the ...

Uric acid (UA) is a hydrophilic antioxidant product associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). We conducted a randomized case-control study to evaluate the serum level of UA in different phases of MS in comparison with levels in a healthy control population. Serum UA was checked in 130 patients with relapsing-remitting MS ...

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is widely prevalent in India. The association between vitamin D status and multiple sclerosis (MS) has not been previously studied in Indians. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to determine whether vitamin D status is associated with MS in India. METHODS: In this study 110 ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease characterized by central nervous system (CNS) inflammation and demyelination of nerve axons. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible association between the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene and multiple sclerosis in Tunisian patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The ...

Oxidative stress plays a major role in multiple sclerosis (MS). Melatonin is a potent neuroprotectant. The aims of this study were to determine the actions of melatonin in the reduction of oxidative stress in MS. Therefore, we estimated lipid peroxidation and activities of main antioxidative enzymes in the red blood ...

BACKGROUND.: Clinical and neuroimaging parameters predictive of the changing clinical course of multiple sclerosis (MS) from relapsing remitting to secondary progressive have not been clarified yet. We specifically designed a prospective five-year longitudinal study aimed at assessing demographic, clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters that could predict the changing ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to evaluate in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients the prevalence of persistent complaints of visual disturbances and the mechanisms and resulting functional disability of persistent visual complaints (PVCs). METHODS: Firstly, the prevalence of PVCs was calculated in 303 MS patients. MS-related data of patients ...

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is prevalent and widely proved as a predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in general population. However, there was no large sample study concerning MS in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). We aimed to study the prevalence, risk factors ...

Objective To explore the potential decrease of serum erythropoietin (EPO) level in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) complicated with anemia. Methods The serum EPO levels were detected in the patients with MS complicated with anemia (MS group, n=31), patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA group, n=33), and healthy subjects (normal ...

The present study aimed at evaluating respiratory parameters in multiple sclerosis (MS). The sample comprised 30 patients with MS diagnosis and 30 healthy subjects, matched by gender and age. Neurological assessment, expanded disability status scale (EDSS), manovacuometry, and peak flow (PEF) were performed. Patients with MS had lower values of ...

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is an infectious factor recently found in association with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Sardinia. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to confirm this association and evaluate its role in clinical features. METHODS: A total of 436 patients and 264 healthy controls (HCs) were ...

BACKGROUND: Oligoclonal bands (OCBs) unique to the cerebrospinal fluid are used in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). The precise prevalence of OCBs in MS and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is unknown. The influence of OCBs on clinical outcomes has not been quantified. OCB prevalence has been associated with latitude ...

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) in Asia is thought to have different clinical characteristics from MS in Western countries; however, previous studies in Asia were performed without properly differentiating neuromyelitis optica (NMO) from MS. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of MS in Korea after careful exclusion of potential explanations other ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical relevance of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and healthy controls using extra- and intracranial colour Doppler sonography. METHODS: We examined 146 MS patients, presenting with a clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive, or primary ...

BACKGROUND: The International Panel on Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis has proposed new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). We aimed to evaluate these new criteria in a cohort of patients from Buenos Aires, Argentina. METHODS: Patients with ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the presence of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and cerebral venous anomalies in a consecutive series of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), other neurologic diseases (NEU) and healthy controls (HC). METHODS: A consecutive series of 80 MS patients, 41 HC and 40 NEU cases underwent a transcranial ...

Aim To explore amplitude and latency-check size function in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients without optic neuritis history. Methods Thirty-six MS patients and 21 control subjects were included. Pattern visual evoked responses to ive check sizes (2°, 1°, 30', 15', and 7') were recorded. Results P100 amplitudes were signiicantly reduced in ...

: The aim of this study was to evaluate latencies and corrected p13-n23 cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP) and n10-p13 ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMP) amplitudes in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). : This was a prospective, case-control study. Thirty patients with MS and 15 healthy ...

BACKGROUND: Several mechanisms may be involved in the trigger of syncope in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), including hemodynamic collapses that might be related to an autonomic imbalance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the autonomic function of patients presenting HCM with unexplained syncope (US) to those without syncope. METHODS: Thirty-seven ...

Background & objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is an important determinant of cardiovascular (CV) risk. Framingham Risk Scores (FRS) often underestimate the CV risk in Asians, younger patients and those with MS. Asians often develop coronary artery disease (CAD) at a younger age and also have a high prevalence of MS. ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Stenosis of the internal jugular, azygos, and other veins detected by using intracranial and neck Doppler and B-mode sonography and confirmed by venography has been reported in MS with a high degree of sensitivity. This article reports the results of sonographic findings in patients with MS and controls, ...

Chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) has been proposed as a "congenital malformation" implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, numerous studies failed to confirm its presence in MS patients. This paper presents the rationale, design, and methodology adopted in the CoSMo study, conducted with the aim of verifying ...

OBJECTIVES: Our aims were to determine the prevalence of renal ultrasound (RUS) abnormalities over time in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). METHODS: Data were examined retrospectively from MS patients with LUTS, from 2000-2009. Study inclusion requirements were both baseline urodynamics (UD) and RUS data, with ...

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the utility of aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-Ab) in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). METHODS: The clinical and radiological characteristics of 78 patients with NMOSD and 22 with multiple sclerosis (MS), who were tested for AQP4-Ab by a cell-based assay, were assessed. RESULTS: The ...

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest an association between rare variants in Mediterranean fever (MEFV), the gene underlying the auto-inflammatory disorder Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), the risk to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) and severity of MS. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate these findings in a Belgian MS population ...

To review descriptions of paroxysmal dysarthria and ataxia in multiple sclerosis (MS), with special attention given to Parker and his 1946 case series. Evaluation of original publications describing paroxysmal dysarthria and ataxia, bibliographic information, writings, and unpublished letters from the Mayo Clinic Historical Unit. In 1940, Störring described a patient ...

Early serum detection is of critical importance to improve the therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most deadly cancers. Hepatitis infection is a leading cause of HCC. In the present study, we collected total serum samples with informed consent from 80 HCC patients with HBV (+)/cirrhosis (+), 80 ...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on Natalizumab (NAT) have shown increased circulation of most white blood cells (WBC) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients shortly after its introduction. AIM: To describe peripheral immune cell phenotypes after more than 2 years of continuous NAT therapy and test for associations with clinical response to therapy. METHODS: ...

Abstract Background: Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) has been proposed to be associated with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Zamboni et al reported significant improvement in neurological outcomes in MS patients who underwent Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty (PTA). Objectives: To retrospectively evaluate the neurological outcomes in MS patients who underwent PTA. Method: Relapsing remitting ...

OBJECTIVES: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) seroprevalence is high from early childhood in Indian populations, though multiple sclerosis (MS) is uncommon. The present study aims to evaluate the association of EBV infection with MS in Indian patients. METHOD: In this study 140 MS patients and equal number of matched controls were included. ...

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have reported an increased risk for epileptic seizures in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. However, data on the pathogenesis of seizures remain inconclusive. The aim of our study is to evaluate prevalence, clinical and paraclinical features of epileptic attacks in our MS cohort and to search MS-specific risk ...