Table 3.

Comparison of the clinical features of patients with MS according to the presence or absence of HLA-DRB1*04:05

DRB1	Total patients			Northern patients			Southern patients
	04:05 (+) (n = 172)	04:05 (−) (n = 262)	p value	04:05 (+) (n = 92)	04:05 (−) (n = 155)	p value	04:05 (+) (n = 80)	04:05 (−) (n = 107)	p value
Number of males/females (ratio)	52/120 (1:2.3)	68/194 (1:2.9)	NS	27/65 (1:2.4)	35/120 (1:3.4)	NS	25/55 (1:2.2)	33/74 (1:2.2)	NS
Age (years)a	39 (31–49)	42 (34.2–51.5)	0.0259	41 (34–49.5)	42 (35–51)	NS	36 (28–49)	42 (34–52)	0.0334
Age at onset (years)a	26 (21–34.8)	30.2 (24–40)	0.0003	27 (21–34)	29 (24–37)	NS	25 (20–36.8)	33 (26–43)	0.0001
SPMS (%)	26/170 (15.3)	47/257 (18.3)	NS	19/92 (20.7)	34/153 (22.2)	NS	7/78 (9.0)	13/104 (12.5)	NS
Disease duration (years)a	9 (5.3–16)	9 (4–14)	NS	10 (6–17)	11 (5–17)	NS	7.5 (4–14.8)	5.5 (3–10.3)	0.0133
EDSSa	2.0 (1.0–3.5)	2.0 (1.0–3.5)	NS	2.0 (1.0–3.5)	2.0 (1.0–3.5)	NS	2.0 (1.0–3.0)	2.5 (1.5–4.0)	0.0263
MSSSa	2.10 (0.78–5.24)	3.17 (1.16–5.87)	0.0415	1.97 (0.56–5.63)	2.33 (0.88–4.94)	NS	2.28 (1.04–4.97)	4.32 (1.77–6.33)	0.0021
ARRa	0.40 (0.22–0.71)	0.43 (0.22–0.85)	NS	0.40 (0.25–0.71)	0.42 (0.22–0.75)	NS	0.37 (0.17–0.71)	0.48 (0.21–0.95)	NS
Barkhof criteria (%)	113/170 (66.5)	205/258 (79.5)	0.0026	69/92 (75.0)	129/155 (83.2)	NS	44/78 (56.4)	76/103 (73.8)	0.0143
Positive OB and/or increased IgG index (%)	58/129 (45.0)	135/200 (67.5)	<0.0001	41/69 (59.4)	89/108 (82.4)	0.0007	17/60 (28.3)	46/92 (50.0)	0.008

The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare continuous variables, and the chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables

ARR annualized relapse rate, EDSS Kurtzke’s Expanded Disability Status Scale, MSSS Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score, NS not significant, OB oligoclonal IgG bands, SPMS secondary progressive multiple sclerosis

^aMedian (interquartile range)