Multiple sclerosis and related disorders
-
Mult Scler Relat Disord · Aug 2019
Meta AnalysisEfficacy and tolerability of azathioprine for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an inflammatory and autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system that typically presents with optic neuritis and myelitis. Azathioprine (AZA) is one of the available immunotherapies with purported beneficial effects for patients with NMOSD. At present, there are no systematic reviews that extensively pooled the effects of AZA compared to other interventions for this condition. The objective of this study, therefore, is to determine the efficacy and safety of AZA in patients with NMOSD using systematic review of relevant studies. ⋯ AZA improves relapses and disability in patients with NMOSD but this regimen is associated with relatively frequent adverse events based on limited published evidences. More well-conducted clinical trials are necessary to establish with certainty the beneficial and harmful effects of AZA in patients with NMOSD.
-
Mult Scler Relat Disord · Aug 2019
Five year iron changes in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis deep gray matter compared to healthy controls.
Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS) Deep Grey Matter (DGM) 5 year changes were examined using MRI measures of volume, transverse relaxation rate (R2*) and quantitative magnetic susceptibility (QS). By applying Discriminative Analysis of Regional Evolution (DARE), R2* and QS changes from iron and non-iron sources were separated. ⋯ Thalamic atrophy was the only bulk effect that demonstrated different rates of changes over 5 years compared to age-matched controls. DARE Iron decrease in regions of the caudate, putamen, and thalamus were prominent features in stable RRMS over 5 years.