Table 1.
Clinical information of pregnant MS patients and healthy controls.
| Ex vivo (Th cells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS-NR*,** | MS-R*,**,*** | HC | P-value | |
| Number of individuals | 13.0 | 6.0 | 12.0 | NA |
| Median maternal age with IQR | 33.3 (26.8–33.8) | 32.1 (29.8–33.7) | 33.3 (27.7–34.1) | 0.94 |
| Median EDSS third trimester with IQR | 1.5 (1.0–1.5) | 1.0 (0.3–1.8) | NA | 0.82 |
| Median EDSS postpartum with IQR | 1.0 (0.0–1.5) | 1.8 (1.5-2.8) | NA | 0.02 |
| Nullipara | 4 | 1 | 9 | 0.03 |
| Cesarean section | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.60 |
| (Pre)eclampsia | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Median gestation (weeks) with IQR | 40.0 (39.0–41.0) | 38.0 (38.0–39.0) | 39.0 (37.0–40.0) | 0.13 |
| In vitro (sera) | ||||
| MS-NR*,** | MS-R*,**,*** | HC | P-value | |
| Number of individuals | 8.0 | 5.0 | 8.0 | NA |
| Median maternal age with IQR | 33.5 (26.6–34.6) | 31.5 (29.2–34.1) | 33.3 (31.0–34.1) | 0.91 |
| Median EDSS third trimester with IQR | 1.3 (0.8–1.6) | 1.0 (0.0–1.6) | NA | 0.94 |
| Median EDSS postpartum with IQR | 1.3 (0.8–1.6) | 2.0 (1.5–3.0) | NA | 0.12 |
| Nullipara | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0.04 |
| Cesarean section | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.76 |
| (Pre)eclampsia | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Median gestation (weeks) with IQR | 40.0 (38.8–41.3) | 38.5 (38.0–39.3) | 38.5 (36.3–40.0) | 0.29 |
| Luminex (memory Th cells) | ||||
| MS-NR*,** | MS-R*,**,*** | HC | P-value | |
| Number of individuals | 6.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | NA |
| Median maternal age with IQR | 35.5 (33.4–37.3) | 32.1 (29.8–33.7) | 34.0 (32.9–35.5) | 0.30 |
| Median EDSS third trimester with IQR | 1.3 (0.3–1.5) | 1.0 (0.3–1.8) | NA | 1.00 |
| Median EDSS postpartum with IQR | 1.3 (0.3–1.5) | 1.8 (1.5–2.8) | NA | 0.12 |
| Nullipara | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0.17 |
| Cesarean section | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.64 |
| (Pre)eclampsia | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Median gestation (weeks) with IQR | 40.5 (38.5–41.8) | 38.0 (38.0–39.0) | 38.0 (37.0–39.5) | 0.13 |
| UPLC-MS/MS (sera) | ||||
| MS-NR*,** | MS-R*,**,*** | HC | P-value | |
| Number of individuals | 13.0 | 6.0 | 12.0 | NA |
| Median maternal age with IQR | 33.3 (26.8–33.8) | 32.8 (29.8–35.4) | 33.3 (27.7–34.1) | 0.99 |
| Median EDSS third trimester with IQR | 1.5 (1.0–1.5) | 1.5 (0.3–2.0) | NA | 0.71 |
| Median EDSS postpartum with IQR | 1.0 (0.0–1.5) | 2.0 (1.6–2.8) | NA | 0.02 |
| Nullipara | 4 | 1 | 9 | 0.04 |
| Cesarean section | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.60 |
| (Pre)eclampsia | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Median gestation (weeks) with IQR | 40.0 (39.0–41.0) | 39.0 (38.0–39.0) | 39.0 (37.0–40.0) | 0.18 |
*
Did not experience clinically-defined relapses during pregnancy.
**
Patients did not receive immune modifying treatment for at least 3 months prior to pregnancy and until the end of this study.
***
Information regarding nullipara, caesaraean section, (pre) eclampsia and gestation is missing for one RRMS patient.
MS-NR, RRMS patients without clinically-defined relapses in the early postpartum period (4–8 weeks); MS-R, RRMS patients with clinically-defined relapses in the early postpartum period (4–8 weeks); EDSS, expanded disability status scale; IQR, interquartile range.