TABLE 3.
Comparative analysis between MS spectrum and CNS autoimmune groups.
| MS Spectrum Disease (n = 128) | CNS Autoimmune Group (n = 48) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Female sex (%) | 66.4 | 85.4 | 0.013 |
| Age (years) [median (IQR)] | 37.0 (16.8) | 46.1 (26.5) | <0.001 |
| Age of Onset (years) [median (IQR)] | 34.8 (16.6) | 43.0 (20.6) | 0.003 |
| Family History (%) | |||
| MS | 10.8 | 9.8 | 0.851 |
| SAD | 5.4 | 22.0 | 0.002 |
| Organ-specific autoimmune disease | 10.9 | 24.4 | 0.037 |
| Comorbidities (%) | |||
| Diabetes | 4.4 | 2.4 | 0.564 |
| Hypertension | 5.3 | 17.1 | 0.019 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 6.1 | 28.6 | <0.001 |
| First manifestation (%) | |||
| Optic neuritis | 23.0 | 31.1 | 0.283 |
| Brainstem | 18.3 | 6.7 | 0.063 |
| Pyramidal | 30.2 | 24.4 | 0.467 |
| Cerebellar | 11.9 | 4.4 | 0.151 |
| Sensory | 37.3 | 33.3 | 0.635 |
| Bladder/bowel | 3.2 | 4.4 | 0.691 |
| Cortical | 0 | 8.9 | 0.001 |
| MRI findings (%) | |||
| Demyelinating brain or spine lesions | 85.7 | 63.9 | 0.003 |
| Demyelinating spine lesions | 71.8 | 58.8 | 0.150 |
| Nonspecific brain WMH | 10.2 | 44.7 | <0.001 |
| Nonspecific brain WMH with demyelinating spine lesions | 7.3 | 23.5 | 0.007 |
| Areas affected in MRI (%) | |||
| Cortical/juxtacortical/deep hite matter (non-periventricular supratentorial) | 73.4 | 73.9 | 0.945 |
| Periventricular | 84.3 | 75.6 | 0.192 |
| Infratentorial | 58.1 | 37.8 | 0.020 |
| Optic nerve | 9.5 | 15.6 | 0.269 |
| Corpus callosum | 51.0 | 28.9 | 0.020 |
| Cervical spine | 61.7 | 48.6 | 0.160 |
| Thoracic spine | 50.7 | 43.5 | 0.546 |
| Gadolinium enhancement (%) | |||
| Any enhancement in MRIs performed during the last 30 days | 44.4 | 40.5 | 0.653 |
| CSF findings | |||
| T2 positive OCBs (%) | 60.7 | 37.1 | 0.036 |
| High IgG index (%) | 47.4 | 27.3 | 0.04 |
| CSF white cell count (pof) [median (IQR)] | 3.0 (6.0) | 2.0 (5.0) | 0.089 |
| CSF protein (mg/dl) [median (IQR)] | 35.5 (18.3) | 35.5 (23.0) | 0.741 |
| Laboratory parameters | |||
| ANA titers ≥1/320 (%) | 2.6 | 27.3 | 0.0001 |
| ANA titers: 1/160 (%) | 8.5 | 18.2 | 0.08 |
| Anti-cardiolipin IgG positivity (%) | 0 | 0 | 1.0 |
| Anti-cardiolipin IgM positivity (%) | 12.9 | 27.9 | 0.03 |
| Anti-β2GPI IgG positive (%) | 1.7 | 2.4 | 0.05 |
| Anti-β2GPI IgM positive (%) | 4.3 | 7.7 | 0.68 |
| C3 (mg/dl) [median (IQR)] | 109.0 (36.8) | 111.5 (25.8) | 0.479 |
| C4 (mg/dl) [median (IQR)] | 23.0 (6.8) | 25.0 (13.0) | 0.348 |
| White blood cells (per μl) [median (IQR)] | 6900.0 (2500.0) | 6600.0 (1890.0) | 0.301 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dl) [median (IQR)] | 14.0 (2.0) | 13.5 (0.5) | 0.769 |
| Platelets (103 per μl) [median (IQR)] | 262.0 (84.0) | 262.0 (92.8) | 0.654 |
| ESR (mm/hr) [median (IQR)] | 8.0 (7.3) | 8.5 (13.8) | 0.428 |
| Folic acid (μg/L) [median (IQR)] | 6.0 (2.3) | 9.5 (7.8) | 0.610 |
| Vitamin B12 (ng/L) [median (IQR)] | 368.5 (183.3) | 480.0 (298.5) | 0.053 |
| 25-OH-vitamin-D (ng/ml) [median (IQR)] | 25.0 (9.0) | 24.0 (7.0) | 0.445 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) [median (IQR)] | 192.0 (35.0) | 215.0 (42.0) | 0.083 |
| LDL (mg/dl) [median (IQR)] | 109.0 (45.5) | 137.0 (51.5) | 0.131 |
| HDL (mg/dl) [median (IQR)] | 58.0 (17.0) | 64.0 (16.0) | 0.262 |
| TG (mg/dl) [median (IQR)] | 87.0 (49.0) | 91.0 (40.0) | 0.705 |
| Abnormal urinalysis (%) | 0 | 0 |
Abbreviations ANA = antinuclear antibodies, CNS = central nervous system, CSF = cerebrospinal fluid, ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate, HDL = high density lipoprotein, Ig = immunoglobulin, IQR = interquartile range, LDL = low density lipoprotein, MRI = magnetic resonance imaging, MS = multiple sclerosis, OCBs = oligoclonal bands, SAD = systemic autoimmune disease, TG = triglycerides, WMH = white matter hyperintensities, and β2GPI = beta-2-glycoprotein-I