Table 1.
Characteristics of study subjects
| Subjects | No. | Gender1 (M/F) | Age (years) [mean (range)] | Untreated/ treated2 | EDSS [median (range)] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS patients | |||||
| RR-MS | 55 | 14/41 | 41.9 (18–59) | 40/15 | 2.0 (0–4) |
| SP-MS | 15 | 4/11 | 55.5 (45–69) | 10/5 | 6.5 (4–9) |
| Control subjects | |||||
| ONDs | 18 | 8/10 | 47.7 (27–74) | 18/0 | NA |
| RA | 10 | 3/7 | 67.0 (55–85) | 5/5 | NA |
| SLE | 5 | 1/4 | 36.2 (20–52) | 5/0 | NA |
| HCs | 40 | 12/28 | 38.9 (20–58) | 40/0 | NA |
1
Gender: male (M)/female (F).
2
Immunomodulatory treatment within 3 months of blood sampling. Fifteen RR-MS patients and three SP-MS patients were treated with interferon-β; two SP-MS patients were treated with methotrexate; RA patients were treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Untreated: no immunomodulatory drugs.
EDSS, expanded disability status score; HCs, healthy controls; MS, multiple sclerosis; NA, not applicable; ONDs, other neurological diseases; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RR-MS, relapsing-remitting MS; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; SP-MS, secondary progressive MS.