Table 4.
Comparison of risk factors for recurring disease activity by switch interval and subsequent therapy.
| More than 8 weeks pause | Less than 8 weeks, heDMT | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n | 38 | 39 | |
| Nonactive (%) | 26 (68.4) | 30 (76.9) | 0.561 |
| Age at diagnosis [mean (SD)] | 32.82 (9.20) | 29.41 (8.73) | 0.100 |
| Disease durationa (median [IQR]) | 10.00 [2.25–13.00] | 11.00 [7.00–14.00] | 0.397 |
| MRI activity under FGL = yesb (%) | 9 (30.0) | 27 (71.1) | 0.002 |
FGL, fingolimod; heDMT, highly effective disease-modifying therapy; IQR, interquartile range; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; SD, standard deviation.
This table shows a comparison of the previously identified risk factors for recurring disease activity in two extreme groups: (1) patients who were more than 8 weeks without a succeeding DMT (excluding those women who discontinued due to pregnancy or childbearing preferences) and (2) patients who switched to an heDMT in less than 8 weeks (excluding those who had a relapse prior to the initiation of a subsequent DMT).
Note that disease duration was calculated at fingolimod discontinuation.
In nine patients (eight in ‘more than 8 weeks pause’ group and one in ‘less than 8 weeks, heDMT’ group), MRI activity under FGL could be not be determined. These patients are ignored in the variable ‘MRI activity under FGL’. We performed a sensitivity analysis, and the results remained unchanged (data not shown).