Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients according to duration of follow-up.
| Baseline Characteristics | Total (n = 52) |
5 Years (n = 26) |
10 Years (n = 8) |
15 Years (n = 7) |
20 Years (n = 11) |
p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender (female/male) | 37/15 | 18/8 | 6/2 | 5/2 | 8/3 | >0.05 |
| Age at MS onset, years (mean ± SD) | 30.9 ± 8.2 | 32.2 ± 9.8 | 28.4 ± 5.4 | 31.5 ± 6.7 | 29.4 ± 6.1 | >0.05 |
| Age at treatment initiation, years (mean ± SD) | 39.2 ± 8.6 | 44.2 ± 8.9 | 34.0 ± 3.8 | 33.5 ± 6.7 | 34.3 ± 4.6 | >0.05 |
| Cladribine (s.c.) cumulative dose at final follow-up (mg/kg body weight; mean ± SD) |
2.6 ± 1.1 | 2.1 ± 0.4 | 2.7 ± 1.4 | 2.7 ± 1.3 | 3.8 ± 1.4 | <0.001 * |
| EDSS score at treatment initiation (mean ± SD) | 4.7 ± 1.4 | 5.5 ± 1.1 | 4.3 ± 1.6 | 3.9 ± 1.2 | 3.6 ± 1.0 | <0.001 ** |
| Prior treatment (n (%)) | 5 (10) | |||||
| Interferon beta-1a | 1 (2) | 1 (12) | ||||
| Interferon beta-1b | 3 (6) | 3 (12) | ||||
| Glatiramer acetate | 1 (2) | 1 (4) | ||||
| Comorbidities (n (%)) | 11 (21) | |||||
| Hypertension | 2 (4) | 2 (7) | ||||
| Dyslipidemia | 2 (4) | 1 (4) | 1 (9) | |||
| Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation | 1 (2) | 1 (4) | - | |||
| Bradycardia (transient) | 1 (2) | 1 (9) | ||||
| Fatty liver disease | 1 (2) | 1 (9) | ||||
| Microcytic anemia | 1 (2) | 1 (4) | ||||
| Pulmonary emphysema | 1 (2) | 1 (12) | ||||
| Thyroid nodules | 1 (2) | 1 (4) | ||||
| Hypothyroidism | 1 (2) | 1 (12) | ||||
| Appendicitis (with appendectomy) | 1 (2) | 1 (9) | ||||
| Nephrolithiasis | 1 (2) | 1 (9) | ||||
n, number of patients; MS, multiple sclerosis; s.c., subcutaneous; SD, standard deviation. * Overall difference in p-value, <0.001; year 5 vs. year 20, <0.001 (on multiple comparisons test). ** Overall difference in p-value, <0.001; year 5 vs. year 15, <0.05; year 5 vs. year 20, <0.001 (on multiple comparisons test).