BACKGROUND: The heterogeneity of the disease course in multiple sclerosis (MS) remains a challenge for patient management and clinical trials. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between disease course heterogeneity and retinal layer thicknesses in MS. METHODS: A total of 230 MS patients and 63 healthy control subjects were included. Spectral-domain OCT scanning of the peripapillary and macular regions was performed, followed by automated eight-layer segmentation. Generalised estimation equations were used for comparisons. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated for distinguishing a benign from a typical disease course. RESULTS: Primary progressive patients showed relative preservation of inner retinal layers, compared to the relapsing onset MS types. Only in MS eyes without optic neuritis did patients with typical MS show more severe thinning of the inner retinal layers (RNFL to INL) compared to patients with a benign disease course, even after an average disease course of 20 years. CONCLUSION: The thicknesses, particularly of the innermost retinal layers (RNFL, GCC), were significantly related to the heterogeneous disease course in MS. The relative preservation of these layers in primary progressive and benign MS suggests rather limited susceptibility of the retina to neurodegeneration, which may be relevant for future neurodegenerative treatment trials employing OCT as a secondary outcome measure in primary progressive MS.
BACKGROUND: The heterogeneity of the disease course in multiple sclerosis (MS) remains a challenge for patient management and clinical trials. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between disease course heterogeneity and retinal layer thicknesses in MS. METHODS: A total of 230 MS patients and 63 healthy control subjects were included. Spectral-domain OCT scanning of the peripapillary and macular regions was performed, followed by automated eight-layer segmentation. Generalised estimation equations were used for comparisons. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated for distinguishing a benign from a typical disease course. RESULTS: Primary progressive patients showed relative preservation of inner retinal layers, compared to the relapsing onset MS types. Only in MS eyes without optic neuritis did patients with typical MS show more severe thinning of the inner retinal layers (RNFL to INL) compared to patients with a benign disease course, even after an average disease course of 20 years. CONCLUSION: The thicknesses, particularly of the innermost retinal layers (RNFL, GCC), were significantly related to the heterogeneous disease course in MS. The relative preservation of these layers in primary progressive and benign MS suggests rather limited susceptibility of the retina to neurodegeneration, which may be relevant for future neurodegenerative treatment trials employing OCT as a secondary outcome measure in primary progressive MS.
Authors: Vedat Cilingir; Muhammed Batur; Mehmet Deniz Bulut; Aysel Milanlioglu; Abdullah Yılgor; Abdussamet Batur; Tekin Yasar; Temel Tombul Journal: Neurol Sci Date: 2017-04-10 Impact factor: 3.307
Authors: Marta Para-Prieto; Raul Martin; Sara Crespo; Laura Mena-Garcia; Andres Valisena; Lisandro Cordero; Gloria Gonzalez Fernandez; Juan F Arenillas; Nieves Tellez; Jose Carlos Pastor Journal: Clin Ophthalmol Date: 2021-05-14
Authors: Timm Oberwahrenbrock; Maria Weinhold; Janine Mikolajczak; Hanna Zimmermann; Friedemann Paul; Ingeborg Beckers; Alexander U Brandt Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-09-08 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Axel Petzold; Philip G Nijland; Lisanne J Balk; Angela Maria Amorini; Giacomo Lazzarino; Mike P Wattjes; Claudio Gasperini; Paul van der Valk; Barbara Tavazzi; Giuseppe Lazzarino; Jack van Horssen Journal: Ann Clin Transl Neurol Date: 2014-12-17 Impact factor: 4.511
Authors: Andrés Cruz-Herranz; Lisanne J Balk; Timm Oberwahrenbrock; Shiv Saidha; Elena H Martinez-Lapiscina; Wolf A Lagreze; Joel S Schuman; Pablo Villoslada; Peter Calabresi; Laura Balcer; Axel Petzold; Ari J Green; Friedemann Paul; Alexander U Brandt; Philipp Albrecht Journal: Neurology Date: 2016-05-25 Impact factor: 9.910