Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of enrolled patients.
| Characteristic | Interferon beta (n = 19) | MMF (n = 16) | p value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age – years, mean ± SD | 38.6 ± 9.4 | 37.4 ± 8.3 | 0.72 |
| Female – no (%) | 14 (73.7) | 11 (68.8) | 0.75 |
| Weight – kg, mean ± SD | 90.8 ± 21.3 | 82.9 ± 20.7 | 0.28 |
| Height – m, mean ± SD | 1.66 ± 0.10 | 1.71 ± 0.11 | 0.18 |
| Blood pressure – mmHg | |||
| Systolic blood pressure, mean ± SD | 124.4 ± 14.9 | 120.7 ± 13.9 | 0.46 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mean ± SD | 79.7 ± 7.9 | 77.8 ± 12.5 | 0.60 |
| Race – no (%) | 0.24 | ||
| Caucasian | 11 (57.8) | 14 (87.5) | |
| African-American | 4 (21.1) | 1 (6.3) | |
| Other | 4 (21.1) | 1 (6.3) | |
| Disease duration in months, mean ± SD | 33.3 ± 46.4 | 30.9 ± 38.5 | 0.87 |
| Relapses within last 12 month prior to the study, no. (%) | 0.88 | ||
| 0 | 0 (0.0) | 1 (6.3) | |
| 1 | 16 (84.2) | 13 (81.3) | |
| 2 | 2 (10.5) | 2(12.5) | |
| 3 | 1 (5.3) | 0 (0.0) | |
| EDSS, mean ± SD, median (min – max) | 2.5 ± 1.3, 2.3 (0.0–6.0) | 2.6 ± 1.2, 2.3 (0.8–5.3) | 0.85 |
| MSFC | −0.12 ± 0.58 | 0.13 ± 0.94 | 0.37 |
| Arm, mean ± SD | −0.47 ± 1.35 | 0.24 ± 1.21 | 0.11 |
| Leg, mean ± SD | 0.04 ± 0.56 | −0.05 ± 1.36 | 0.81 |
| PASAT, mean ± SD | −0.36 ± 1.27 | 0.20 ± 0.98 | 0.16 |
| Quality of life (QOL-54) | |||
| Physical, mean ± SD | 58.2 ± 20.0 | 66.0 ± 16.6 | 0.22 |
| Emotional, mean ± SD | 58.3 ± 21.9 | 70.2 ± 19.6 | 0.10 |
| Beck’s Depression Index, mean ± SD | 13.2 ± 10.1 | 12.9 ± 9.9 | 0.93 |
| # No Gd lesions, mean ± SD, median (min – max) | 5.7 ± 7.1, 2 (1–24) | 4.3 ± 6.5, 2 (1–27) | 0.56 |
| # No T2 lesions, mean ± SD, median (min – max) | 34.8 ± 24.9, 28 (2–82) | 31.6 ± 18.3, 30 (4–65) | 0.82 |
| # Combined active lesions, mean ± SD, median (min – max) | 40.5 ± 27.9, 32(3–96) | 35.9 ± 19.6, 39.5(5–69) | 0.79 |
| T2-LV (ml), mean ± SD, median (min – max) | 11.6 ± 13.7, 7.2 (0.2–46.3) | 11.9 ± 7.1, 2.6 (1.3–57.2) | 0.94 |
| T1-LV (ml), mean ± SD, median (min – max) | 1.8 ± 4.7, 0.5 (0–20.8) | 1.2 ± 2, 0.3 (0–6.8) | 0.69 |
| Gd-LV (ml), mean ± SD, median (min – max) | 0.5 ± 1, 0.1 (1–4) | 0.6 ± 1, 0.2 (0.02–3.5) | 0.93 |
SD, standard deviation; number (no.); EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale; MSFC, Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite; PASAT, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Tests; QOL, Quality of Life; LV, lesion volume.
Baseline characteristics were compared by either parametric or nonparametric methods where appropriate.