Table 1.
Demographic characteristics and clinical features of volunteers with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) experimentally infected with the hookworm, Necator americanus (N+), or placebo-treated (PBO), included in the present study
| Patient characteristics | N+ (n = 24) | PBO (n = 26) |
|---|---|---|
| Demographic characteristics | ||
| Age (years, standard deviation) | 45.4 (8.8) | 45.8 (10.9) |
| Gender (no. of subjects, %) | ||
| Female | 17 (70.9%) | 19 (73.1%) |
| Male | 7 (29.1%) | 7 (26.9%) |
| Ethnicity (white, %) | 23 (95.8) | 24 (92.3) |
| Clinical features | ||
| Mean EDSS score at Tpre (range) | 3.1 (1.5–5) | 3.1 (1.5–5) |
| Mean EDSS change during the trial | −0.08 | +0.17 |
| Previous DMT | ||
| Glatiramer acetate | 1 | 2 |
| IFN-beta | 5 | 2 |
| DMT in the 90 days prior to Tpre | 0 | 0 |
| Months from last DMT (average) | 96.6 | 63.3 |
|
Prior steroid treatment* (*short course 3–5d) |
8 | 7 |
| Steroids in the 60 days prior to baseline | 0 | 0 |
| Steroids in the 90 days prior to baseline | 1 | 1 |
| Months from last steroid treatment (average) | 63.7 | 112.2 |
| Clinical and/or radiological relapses | ||
| Clinical relapses (including MRI activity) | 3 | 5 |
| Radiological relapses (MRI activity only) | 7 | 12 |
Tpre, 1 week prior to experimental hookworm infection/placebo treatment; EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale; DMT, disease-modifying therapies; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging