Multiple sclerosis : clinical and laboratory research
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We report the case of a post-progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), multiple sclerosis (MS) patient with an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery. A 28-year-old woman on natalizumab (total of 49 infusions) was diagnosed with PML due to typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical presentation. ⋯ MS was stabilised with dimethyl fumarate (DMF), and 18 months later, a desired pregnancy was reported, resulting in the birth of a healthy boy. Our report gives new hope regarding family planning for post-PML patients.
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A cohort of patients with poor-prognosis multiple sclerosis (MS) underwent chemotherapy-based immune ablation followed by immune reconstitution with an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (IA/aHSCT). This eliminated new focal inflammatory activity, but resulted in early acceleration of brain atrophy. ⋯ Following IA/aHSCT, MS patients showed accelerated whole-brain atrophy that was likely associated with treatment-related toxicity and degeneration of "committed" tissues. Atrophy eventually slowed to that expected from normal aging, suggesting that stopping inflammatory activity in MS can reduce secondary degeneration and atrophy.