Table 1.
Demographic and Clinical Data of Patient in Different Treatment Groups
| Total | IFNβ1-a IM (n=223, 28.02%) | IFNβ1-a SC 22 µg (n=89, 11.18%) | IFNβ1-a SC 44 µg (n=259, 32.53%) | IFNβ1-b SC (n=225, 28.27%) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age at disease onset (range, mean±SD) | 16–47.5, 29.06±8.92 | 16–47.5, 29.23±8.90 | 16–47.5, 29.21±9.69 | 16–47.5, 29.21±8.99 | 16–47.5, 28.66±8.58 | 0.890 | |
| Sex (F) | 513 (64.45%) | 140 (62.78%) | 66 (74.16%) | 170 (65.64%) | 137 (60.89%) | 0.149 | |
| Occupation (n,%) | Professional | 103 (12.94%) | 29 (13.01%) | 15 (16.85%) | 38 (14.67%) | 21 (9.33%) | 0.171 |
| Managerial and technical | 85 (10.68%) | 23 (10.31%) | 9 (10.11%) | 27 (10.42%) | 26 (11.56%) | ||
| Skilled (manual and non-manual) | 138 (17.33%) | 39 (17.49%) | 16 (17.98%) | 43 (16.60%) | 40 (17.78%) | ||
| Unskilled | 172 (21.61%) | 47 (21.08%) | 18 (20.22%) | 53 (20.46%) | 54 (24%) | ||
| Student | 124 (15.58%) | 37 (16.59%) | 14 (15.73%) | 42 (16.21%) | 31 (13.78%) | ||
| Unemployed | 174 (21.86%) | 48 (21.52%) | 17 (19.10%) | 56 (21.62%) | 53 (23.56%) | ||
| Marriage (n,%) | Yes | 424 (53.27%) | 121 | 43 | 129 | 131 | 0.31 |
| No | 372 (46.73%) | 102 | 46 | 130 | 94 | ||
| Contraceptive pills/injection or HRT (n,%) (n=513) | 67/513 (13.06%) | 18/140 (12.86%) | 8/66 (12.12%) | 22/170 (12.94%) | 19/137 (13.87%) | 0.482 | |
| Disease duration at end of data collection (months) (Range, mean±SD) | 15–48 (21.36±7.21) | 15–48 (21.44±7.08) | 15–48 (21.57±8.05) | 15–48 (21.41±6.89) | 15–48 (21.23±7.22) | 0.982 | |
| Initial EDSS (Range, median, IQR) | 0.5–5.5, 2.5 (2–4) | 0.5–5.5, 3 (2–4) | 0.5–5.5, 2.5, (2–3.5) | 0.5–5.5, 3 (2.5–4) | 0.5–5.5, 2.5 (2–4) | 0.288 | |
| Time from disease onset to IFN-β commencement (months) | 4–36 (9.39±7.22) | 4–36 (9.44±7.08) | 4–36 (9.57±7.92) | 4–36 (9.41±6.98) | 4–36 (9.24±7.22) | 0.974 | |
Abbreviations: EDSS, expanded disability status scale; HRT, hormone replacement therapy; IM, intramuscular; IFN-β, interferon-beta; SC, subcutaneous; SD, Standard Deviation; IQR, interquartile range.