Authors: Marta Melis Eleonora Cocco Jessica Frau Lorena Lorefice Giuseppe Fenu Giancarlo Coghe Marco Mura Maria Giovanna Marrosu
Publish Date: 2013/08/30
Volume: 35, Issue: 3, Pages: 401-408
Abstract
There is an urgent need to identify the best strategies to prevent the loss of natalizumab N beneficial effects after its suspension The objective is to evaluate the clinical and radiological disease activity and to test the efficacy of immunomodulatory/immunosuppressive drugs IT after N suspension Clinical and radiological data from 54 patients 2 years before treatment preN during treatment onN and after interruption during 1year followup postN were retrospectively collected Annualized relapse rate ARR expanded disability status scale EDSS presence of new T2 lesions and Gd+ gadolinium enhancing T1 lesions were evaluated PreN ARR at 1 year was 174 while postN ARR was 094 p = 00053 We observed that postN disease activity never raised over preN levels neither postN ARR nor postN EDSS In patients retreated with N after suspension postN ARR was significantly lower than preN ARR p = 0017 but not in patients treated with other IT or in patients not treated with any disease modifying drugs DMD The mean time of freedom from new T2 lesions and new Gd+ lesions was lower in postN period compared to onN T2 lesions p = 00000 Gd+ lesions p = 00000 In conclusion a “rebound” pattern was not identified in our cohort though the disease activity rapidly returned after N regardless of the treatment used
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