Table 1.
Clinical and demographic characteristics of early MS patients at baseline, divided into patients with (HON patients) and without (NHON patients) a history of optic neuritis.
| MS patients | NHON patients | HON patients | p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 156 | 110 | 46 | – |
| Age (mean ± SD) | 33.3 ± 9.5 years | 33.5 ± 9.9 years | 32.9 ± 8.6 years | 0.795a |
| Disease duration (mean ± SD) | 2.0 ± 3.3 years | 1.6 ± 2.8 years | 2.9 ± 4.2 years | 0.566a |
| EDSS [median (range)] | 1.0 (0–6.0) | 1.0 (0–6.0) | 1.0 (0–3.5) | 0.436a |
| Sex | ||||
| Male (n/%) | 47/30% | 33/30% | 14/30% | 0.957b |
| Female (n/%) | 109/70% | 77/70% | 32/70% | |
| DMT | 0.012 b | |||
| No DMT (n/%) | 88/56% | 61/55% | 27/59% | |
| First line (n/%) | 55/35% | 44/40% | 11/24% | |
| Second line (n/%) | 13/8% | 5/5% | 8/17% | |
| Time between sNfL and OCT measure (mean ± SD) | 1.9 ± 1.7 years | 1.6 ± 1.7 years | 2.4 ± 1.7 years | 0.002 c |
p-Value derived from Mann–Whitney U test for HON versus NHON patients.
p-Value derived from Pearson’s chi-square test for HON versus NHON patients.
p-Value derived from Mann–Whitney U test for HON versus NHON patients.
DMT, disease-modifying treatment; EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale; HON, history of optic neuritis; MS, multiple sclerosis; n, number; NHON, no history of optic neuritis; OCT, optical coherence tomography; SD, standard deviation; sNfL, serum neurofilament light chain.
a) first-line: glatiramer acetate, interferon-beta, teriflunomide, dimethyl fumarate.
b) second-line: natalizumab, fingolimod, alemtuzumab.
Bold values indicate statistical significance at the p < 0.05 level.