Table 1.
Clinical and demographical characteristics of RRMS patients included in the study and dichotomized by SDMT status at follow-up.
| Variable | Total RRMS patients (n=77) | SDMT not reduced (n=57) | Reduced SDMT (n=20) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (IQR) | 32 (27.5–43) | 32 (26.5–38.5) | 41.5 (30–54) | 0.04# |
| Sex (Female), n (%) | 54 (70.1) | 38 (66.7) | 16 (80) | 0.4* |
| Disease duration from first symptoms to last visit, y, mean ± SD |
9.6 ± 5.4 | 8.6 ± 4.7 | 12.2 ± 6.3 | 0.02§ |
| Total follow-up time from first to last visit, y, mean ± SD | 7.3 ± 2.6 | 7 ± 2.7 | 8.3 ± 2 | 0.04§ |
| EDSS at baseline, median (IQR) | 2 (0.5–3) | 1.5 (0–2.5) | 2.5 (2–3.5) | 0.02# |
| Patients converting to SPMS during follow-up, n (%) | 2 (2.6) | 1 (1.8) | 1 (5) | 0.45* |
| EDA-3 during follow-up, n (%) | 34 (44.2) | 25 (43.9) | 9 (45) | 0.6* |
| Baseline SDMT raw score, mean ± SD |
55.2 ± 11.4 | 52.7 ± 10.3 | 62.4 ± 11.5 | 0.002§ |
| Follow-up SDMT raw score, mean ± SD |
53.6 ± 11 | 54.6 ± 10.8 | 50.8 ± 11.4 | 0.2§ |
| Time from baseline SDMT to censoring, y, mean ± SD | 5.8 ± 2.4 | 5.6 ± 2.3 | 6.5 ± 2.5 | 0.2§ |
| T2 MRI lesions at baseline, n (%) 1-9 10-20 >20 |
32 (41.6) 23 (29.9) 22 (28.6) |
26 (45.6) 19 (33.3) 12 (21.1) |
6 (30) 4 (20) 10 (50) |
0.048* |
| Gd+ lesions, n (%) | 20 (26) | 13 (22.8) | 6 (30) | 0.5# |
| IgG-OCBs≥2, n (%) | 71 (92.2) | 51 (89.5) | 20 (100) | 0.2* |
| KFLC-index, median (IQR) | 50 (16.7–150.3) | 36 (16–148.2) | 103 (21.3–156.6) | 0.26# |
| cNfL ng/L, median (IQR) | 660 (373–1445) | 650 (378–1580) | 790 (320–1300) | 0.9# |
| CSF Tau ng/L, median (IQR) | 200 (166–263.5) | 204 (176–274) | 195 (150–245) | 0.21# |
| Corticosteroids prior to LP, n (%) |
16 (20.1) | 12 (21.1) | 4 (20) | 0.92# |
| Treatment strategy, n (%): First-line from start Second-line from start Escalated during follow-up |
9 (11.7) 35 (45.5) 33 (42.9) |
8 (14) 26 (45.6) 23 (40.4) |
1 (5) 9 (45) 10 (50) |
0.5* |
| Dominant DMT, n (%): Dimethyl fumarate Teriflunomide Fingolimod Natalizumab Rituximab Cladribine Alemtuzumab AHSCT |
6 (7.8) 4 (5.2) 11 (14.3) 15 (19.5) 23 (29.9) 2 (2.6) 9 (11.7) 7 (9.1) |
5 (8.8) 4 (7) 6 (10.5) 11 (19.3) 20 (35.1) 2 (3.5) 4 (7) 5 (8.8) |
1 (5) 0 (0) 5 (25) 4 (20) 3 (15) 0 (0) 5 (25) 2 (10) |
0.2* |
RRMS, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis; SDMT, single digit modality test; SD, standard deviation; EDSS, expanded disability status scale; IQR, interquartile range; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; IgG, immunoglobulin G; OCB, oligoclonal bands; KFLC, kappa free light chain; cNfL, cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light; Gd+, gadolinium enhancing; DMT, disease modifying therapy; AHSCT, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Data are shown as median and interquartile range unless otherwise specified. For group comparisons, the #Mann-Whitney U test, *Fisher’s exact test or chi-square test, and §Unpaired T-test were applied as appropriate. Bold text indicates p values<0.05.