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Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease with a substantial genetic component and immune-mediated neurodegeneration. Patients with MS show structural brain differences relative to individuals without MS, including smaller regional volumes and alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure. Whether genetic risk for MS is associated with brain structure during early neurodevelopment remains unclear. In this study, we explore the association between MS polygenic risk scores (PRS) and brain imaging outcomes from a large, population-based pediatric sample to gain insight into the underlying neurobiology of MS. Methods: We included 8- to 12-year-old genotyped participants from the Generation R Study in whom T1-weighted volumetric (n = 1,136) and/or diffusion tensor imaging (n = 1,088) had been collected. PRS for MS were calculated based on a large genome-wide association study of MS (n = 41,505) and were regressed on regional volumes, global and tract-specific fractional anisotropy (FA), and global mean diffusivity using linear regression. Results: No associations were observed for the regional volumes. We observed a positive association between the MS PRS and global FA (β = 0.098, standard error [SE] = 0.030, p = 1.08 × 10 −3). Tract-specific analyses showed higher FA and lower radial diffusivity in several tracts. We replicated our findings in an independent sample of children (n = 186) who were scanned in an earlier phase (global FA; β = 0.189, SE = 0.072, p = 9.40 × 10 −3). Interpretation: This is the first study to show that greater genetic predisposition for MS is associated with higher global brain WM FA at an early age in the general population. Our results suggest a preadolescent time window within neurodevelopment in which MS risk variants act upon the brain. ANN NEUROL 2020;87:774–787.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association of both myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-IgG)-associated diseases (MOGAD) and aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-IgG)-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) in the Dutch population with European ancestry to clarify similarities or differences in the immunogenetic background of both diseases.MethodsBlood samples from patients in the Dutch national MS/NMOSD expert clinic were tested for MOG-IgG and AQP4-IgG using a cell-based assay. HLA Class I and II genotyping was performed in 43 MOG-IgG–seropositive and 42 AQP4-IgG–seropositive Dutch patients with European ancestry and compared with those of 5,604 Dutch healthy blood donors.ResultsNo significant HLA association was found in MOG-IgG–seropositive patients. The AQP4-IgG–seropositive patients had a significant higher frequency of HLA-A*01 (61.9% vs 33.7%, OR 3.16, 95% CI, 1.707–5.863, p after correction [pc] = 0.0045), HLA-B*08 (61.9% vs 25.6%, OR 4.66, 95% CI, 2.513–8.643, pc < 0.0001), and HLA-DRB1*03 (51.2% vs 27.6%, OR 2.75, 95% CI, 1.495–5.042, pc = 0.0199) compared with controls.ConclusionsThe present study demonstrates differences in the immunogenetic background of MOGAD and AQP4-IgG–positive NMOSD. The strong positive association with HLA-A*01, -B*08, and -DRB1*03 is suggestive of a role of this haplotype in the etiology of AQP4-IgG–positive NMOSD in patients with European ancestry, whereas in MOGAD no evidence was found for any HLA association in these disorders.

Importance: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG-Abs) are consistently identified in a range of demyelinating disorders in adults and children. Current therapeutic strategies are largely center specific, and no treatments have been formally evaluated. Objective: To examine the clinical phenotypes, treatment responses, and outcomes of children with relapsing MOG-Ab-associated disease. Design, Setting, and Participants: This study prospectively collected demographic, clinical, and radiologic data from 102 patients from 8 countries of the EU Paediatric Demyelinating Disease Consortium from January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2016. Patients were treated according to local protocols. Main Outcomes and Measures: Annualized relapse rates (ARRs) and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores before and during treatment with disease-modifying drugs (DMDs). Results: A total of 102 children were identified (median [range] age, 7.0 [1.5-7.9] years; male to female ratio, 1.0:1.8; white to other race/ethnicity ratio, 3.6:1.0). Original diagnoses were neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (44 patients [43.1%]), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis followed by optic neuritis (20 [19.6%]), multiphasic disseminated encephalomyelitis (20 [19.6%]), and relapsing optic neuritis (18 [17.6%]). In all, 464 demyelinating events were reported. Treated patients had more relapses (median, 3.0; range, 1.0-17.0) than untreated patients (median, 1.0; range 1.0-7.0) (P = .009) and higher EDSS scores (median, 1.5; interquartile range, 0-2.5) than untreated patients (median, 1.0; interquartile range, 0-1.5) (P Conclusions and Relevance: Although commonly used to treat patients with multiple sclerosis, DMDs were not associated with clinical improvement in children with MOG-Ab-associated disease, whereas azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, rituximab, and particularly intravenous immunoglobulins were associated with a reduction in relapse frequency. A correct diagnosis of relapsing MOG-Ab-associated disorders is therefore important to optimize immune treatment.

Background and Objective: Fatigue and physical impairments are a major concern in children with multiple sclerosis (MS) and after acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (post-ADEM). We here aimed to evaluate the interaction between fatigue, exercise capacity, motor performance, neurological status, and quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data of 38 children (MS n = 22, post-ADEM n = 16), aged 4–17 years attending our national pediatric MS center, were studied. Fatigue was measured with the Pediatric Quality of Life Multidimensional Fatigue Scale, exercise capacity with the Bruce Protocol, motor performance with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children second edition, HRQoL with the Pediatric Quality of Life Questionnaire, and extent of disability with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Results: Children with MS and post-ADEM experienced more fatigue ( p < 0.001), reduced exercise capacity ( p < 0.001), and impaired motor performance ( p < 0.001), despite low scores on the EDSS. Fatigue, but not the other parameters, was significantly correlated with HRQoL. Fatigue was not correlated with exercise capacity. Conclusion: We confirm the major impact of fatigue on quality of life in children with MS and post-ADEM. Fatigue was not explained by reduced exercise capacity or impaired motor performance. An important finding for clinical practice is that the low EDSS score did not reflect the poor physical functioning.

Elucidating pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the spectrum of pediatric-onset CNS demyelinating diseases, particularly those that may distinguish multiple sclerosis (MS) from other entities, promises to both improve diagnostics and guide more-informed therapeutic decisions. Observations that pediatric- and adult-onset MS share the same genetic and environmental risk factors support the view that these conditions represent essentially the same illness manifesting at different ages. Nonetheless, special consideration must be given when CNS inflammation manifests in early life, at a time when multiple organs (including immune and nervous systems) are actively maturing. CSF analysis in pediatric-onset MS points to chronic CNS inflammation, supported by observations from limited pathologic material available for study. Emerging results implicate abnormalities in both effector and regulatory T cell subsets, and potentially immune senescence, in children with MS. Although CNS-directed antibodies (including antibodies recognizing myelin antigens; Kir4.1) can be documented in pediatric-onset MS, their pathophysiologic significance (as in adults) remains unclear. This is in contrast to the presence of serum and/or CSF antibodies recognizing aquaporin-4, which, when measured using validated cell-based assays, supports the diagnosis of a neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, distinct from MS. Presence of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies documented with similar cell-based assays may also be associated with pathophysiologically distinct disease phenotypes in children. The substantial impact of pediatric-onset MS on normal brain development and function underscores the importance of elucidating both the immunobiology and neurobiology of disease. Ongoing efforts are aimed at developing and validating biological measures that define pathophysiologically distinct monophasic and chronic forms of pediatric CNS demyelination.

Approximately one-third of children with an acquired demyelinating syndrome (ADS) will be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), either at onset according to the 2010 McDonald criteria, or on the basis of clinical or MRI evidence of relapsing disease, in the majority of patients within 2-4 years. ADS in adolescents, female patients, and patients with polyfocal deficits is associated with the highest likelihood of MS, while children with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, those with documented preceding infection, and ADS presentation in young children more commonly portends a monophasic outcome. While pediatric MS associates with similar genetic risk alleles as have been documented in adult-onset MS, such associations are not diagnostically valuable at the individual level. The presence of antibodies directed against aquaporin-4 strongly supports a diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica, and should be assayed in children manifesting with severe optic neuritis, longitudinally extensive myelitis, or brainstem/hypothalamic syndromes. Further research will determine whether other antibody signatures are indicative of relapsing demyelination distinct from MS.

Multiple sclerosis (MScl) frequently is remitted during the third trimester of pregnancy but exacerbated in the first postpartum period. In this context, we investigated protein identification; its abundance, and its change in urine related to these two periods. Using mass spectrometry (LTQ Orbitrap), we identified 160 tryptic peptides (related to 402 proteins) in urine from 31 MScl and 8 control at these two periods. Pregnancy-related peptides were significantly elevated (p < 0.01) in MScl patients compared with controls (Analysis 1: 531 peptides in MScl and 36 peptides in controls higher abundant in the third trimester compared to postpartum). When comparing the longitudinal differences (Analysis 2), we identified 43 (related to 35 proteins) MScl disease-associated peptides (p < 0.01) with increased or decreased difference ratio in MScl compared with controls. The most discriminating peptides identified were trefoil factor 3 and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2. Both proteins have a role in the innate immune system. Three proteins with a significant decreased ratio were plasma glutamate carboxypeptidase, Ig mu chain C region, and osteoclast associated immune like receptor. Our results indicate that the protein expression pattern in urine of MScl patients contains information about remote CNS and brain disease processes.

Background In a recent Canadian prospective study of children with acute demyelinating syndromes (ADS), we demonstrated that the presence of T2 periventricular and T1-hypointense lesions predicted MS diagnosis. We aimed to validate these predictors in a Dutch cohort of children with ADS. Methods Participants with ADS were identified from a prospective cohort or archived dataset. MS was diagnosed based on clinical or MRI evidence of relapsing disease. Baseline MRI scans were evaluated for the presence of the two predictive parameters. Sensitivity, specificity, positive (LR+) and negative likelihood ratios (LR−), and positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated to evaluate the performance of the MRI parameters at classifying children as having MS or monophasic demyelination. Findings Of 115 children identified with ADS between December 1993 and December 2009, MRI scans from 87 children (45 prospective; 47 archived) were evaluated; scans of 28 children were excluded due to incomplete or poor quality imaging. Mean duration of observation was longer in the archived group (7.1 years, SD 3.5) than the prospective cohort (3.3 years, SD 1.4). 30 children were diagnosed with MS. Performance of the parameters was not statistically different between the prospective cohort (sensitivity 93.3% [68.1–99.8]; specificity 86.7% [69.3–96.2]; LR+ 7.0 [2.8–17.6]; LR− 0.08 [0.01–0.5]; PPV 77.8% [52.4–93.6]; NPV 96.3% [81.0–99.9]) and archived group (sensitivity 66.7% [38.4–88.2]; specificity 85.2% [66.3–95.8]; LR+ 4.5 [1.7–11.9]; LR− 0.4 [0.2–0.8]; PPV 71.4% [41.9–91.6]; NPV 82.1% [63.1–93.9]). Interpretation In an independent Dutch cohort, we confirm that the presence of ≥1 T2 periventricular and ≥1 T1-hypointense lesions reliably identifies children with MS. Funding Dutch MS Research Foundation.

Natalizumab is a very effective, relatively new drug for the treatment of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. Inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes in the central nervous system are presumed to cause adverse effects during the course of this disease. To monitor the effects of natalizumab treatment on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteome of patients, CSF samples were taken from patients before commencing treatment as well as after 1 year of treatment. Profiling proteomics experiments using electrospray Orbitrap mass spectrometry and pair wise comparison of patients before and after 1 year of natalizumab treatment revealed a number of candidate biomarkers that were significantly differentially abundant between the before and after treatment groups. Three proteins were subsequently validated using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) in a new, independent sample set. All three proteins, Ig mu chain C region and haptoglobin, both known inflammation-related proteins, as well as Chitinase-3-like protein 1, were confirmed by SRM to be significantly lower abundant in CSF of multiple sclerosis patients after 1 year of natalizumab treatment. The findings for Chitinase-3-like protein 1, a presumed biomarker for more rapid progression from a first clinically isolated syndrome to clinically definite multiple sclerosis, was further confirmed by ELISA measurements.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a rare autoimmune disease affecting the optic nerves and spinal cord. In the majority of NMO patients anti-aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-IgG) are detected. Here we assessed a nationwide incidence of AQP4-IgG-seropositive NMO spectrum disorders (NMOSD) in the Netherlands based on results of one central laboratory. Data were collected since the introduction of the highly sensitive cell-based assay for six consecutive years. Samples from 2795 individual patients have been received; of them 94 (3.4%) were seropositive. Based on the Dutch population with 16.6 million inhabitants, the mean incidence of AQP4-IgG-seropositive NMOSD was calculated at 0.09 per 100,000 people.

Background: Current MRI criteria can help predict a second attack after a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). Given the known association between corpus callosum lesions (CC) and multiple sclerosis (MS), such lesions on MRI could provide additional predictive information. This study assessed whether the presence of CC lesion on MRI could, next to the modified Barkhof criteria, further enhance prediction of conversion from CIS to MS. Methods: Follow-up study of 158 patients with CIS who underwent MRI after CIS was performed. MRI were scored for the Barkhof criteria and CC lesion. Patients were classified as having MS according to Poser criteria. Cox regression models were used for the time to conversion from CIS to MS. Results: The Barkhof criteria and CC lesion were strongly associated with conversion to MS with hazard ratios (HR), respectively, of 2.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-4.3) and 2.7 (95% CI 1.6-4.5). The HRs of CC lesion adjusted for the Barkhof criteria and the Barkhof criteria adjusted for CC lesion were similar (HRs 1.8, not significant). The combined prediction of the Barkhof criteria and CC lesion was 3.3 (95% CI 1.9-5.7). Patients not fulfilling the Barkhof criteria had a fourfold increased risk of MS (HR 3.8, 95% CI 1.5-9.3) when they had a lesion in the CC. Conclusions: Corpus callosum (CC) lesion and the Barkhof criteria both predicted conversion to multiple sclerosis (MS). When both variables were combined, the association was stronger. The assessment of CC lesion may be a useful additional tool for predicting conversion to MS in patients with clinically isolated syndrome. Neurology (R) 2009; 73: 1837-1841

Prevalence of eight human herpesviruses (HHV1-8) was determined by real-time PCR in cell-rich cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, obtained early after disease symptoms, of Dutch patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other noninfectious central nervous system diseases (NIND). Whereas HHV1-8 DNA was undetectable in CSF samples of MS patients, HHV6 DNA was detected in a plexus neuritis case and HHV7 DNA in an ependymoma and a Behccts' disease patient. However, intrathecal HHV infection was not detected. Data indicate that HHV1-8 are rarely detected in CSF of Dutch NIND patients and do not support the role of intrathecal HHV infection early after onset of disease symptoms in MS.

Diagnosis of meningeal localization of lymphoid malignancies by means of cytologic examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can be difficult. Thus far no reliable CSF tumor markers have been identified. CD27 is a transmembrane disulfide-linked 55-kD homodimer present on most peripheral blood T cells and on a subset of B cells. CD27 is also expressed on human malignant B cells and high levels of soluble CD27 can be present in the serum of patients with B-cell malignancies. The aim of this study is to determine prospectively the diagnostic value of CSF sCD27 as a tumor marker in patients with meningeal localization of lymphoid malignancies. CSF sCD27 levels were determined by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The optimal cut-off value using receiver operator characteristics curves was found to be 10 U/mL. sCD27 levels were normal in all 50 control patients (lumbar disc protrusion) and in 39 of 40 samples obtained from patients with either solid tumors or acute myeloid leukemia. Of 104 CSF samples from 70 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) undergoing routine central nervous system (CNS) staging, sCD27 was false positive and false negative in only one sample each. In 70 samples from 45 patients suspected of meningeal localization of ALL or NHL, the sCD27 test had an excellent sensitivity (100%) and specificity (82%). In 7 patients with positive CSF studied longitudinally, sCD27 levels correlated very well with remission and relapse. sCD27 levels were not nonspecifically increased by the administration of cytostatic drugs. Finally, sCD27 was also elevated in the 4 patients studied with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). CSF sCD27 is a promising tumor marker in patients with either meningeal localization of lymphoid malignancies or PCNSL, and can be useful in the differential diagnosis of CNS involvement by either lymphoid malignancies or solid tumors.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients are characterized by a low lymphocyte count, which is considered a specific disease marker and is related to disease activity. The membrane bound molecules CD25 and CD27 are expressed and released in a soluble CD25 (sCD25) and soluble CD27 (sCD27) form by activation of predominantly T cells. In previous studies it was claimed that sCD25 as well sCD27 might be used as parameters for activation of the immune system; a correlation between the sCD25 profile with the disease course in SLE patients was also shown. To assess the relationship between lymphocyte count and these T cell activation markers, we performed a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study. In the longitudinal study three SLE patients who were known for a long time at our outpatient clinic were studied. Both T cell markers strongly correlated with each other and formed a reflection of the disease course. In all 7 periods of exacerbation, which we observed in the 3 investigated patients, both levels increased preceding this period; however, no correlation was found with the lymphocyte count. In the cross sectional study of 69 patients with SLE, sCD25 and sCD27 levels were correlated with defined disease manifestations; sCD25 was elevated in all periods of increased disease activity. The same holds true for sCD27, with the exception of patients with nephritis in which the highest levels were observed. Both profiles of sCD25 and sCD27 were strongly correlated during the whole disease course. Our data prove that in the pathogenesis of SLE an active recruitement of unprimed and primed T cells takes place.

A middle-aged woman was admitted to the hospital after being found unconscious at home. A brain CT scan excluded an intracranial bleed or other focal abnormality. Laboratory analysis showed hyponatraemia (sodium: 121 mmol L(-1)) and a low plasma osmolality, with normal sodium excretion and urine osmolality. A diagnosis of hyponatraemic coma was made. The patient was treated with water restriction; 24 h later the sodium was 135 mmol L(-1) and the patient was neurologically fully recovered. The patient, who suffered from von Willebrand's disease, had received desmopressin and ibuprofen for analgesia 2 days before after a dental intervention. She had received desmopressin several times in the past without any complications. A few patients treated with desmopressin for coagulation abnormalities have been reported to develop water intoxication and severe hyponatraemia resulting in seizures and coma. By inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis, non-steroid anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) potentiate the effect of water reabsorption in the renal tubules of vasopressin, therefore enhancing water retention. Desmopressin and NSAIDs should not be used in combination in patients with bleeding disorders, but it is often followed in clinical practice. In addition, this is probably not an unusual situation in patients treated with desmopressin for other 'non-haemorrhagic' indications. This report emphasizes the need for practitioners to be aware of this rare but severe complication.

Sir, Although recent studies have demonstrated a clear association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection with multiple sclerosis (Zaadstra et al. , 2008; Lunemann and Munz, 2009; Salvetti et al. , 2009), there has been much debate if and where the virus acts in the pathogenic cascade of multiple sclerosis and whether the virus needs to gain entry to the central nervous system (CNS). A recent study reported in Brain by Willis et al. (2009) showed that there is little evidence for the presence of EBV in the central nervous system of people with multiple sclerosis. These findings contrast greatly with the studies by Serafini et al. (2007) that have described abundant EBV positive cells in multiple sclerosis, and the presence of ectopic B cell follicles enriched with EBV infected cells in some patients. Willis and co-workers used a variety of validated methods to determine the presence of EBV in the CNS of patients with B cell infiltrates within the meninges and parenchyma. The paper described two crucial observations. Unlike Serafini et al. (2007), Willis et al. did not find the presence of EBV to be a characteristic feature of multiple sclerosis (aptly the title of the paper). Second, ectopic follicles, suggested by Serafini et al. to harbour EBV infected B cells, were not observed, despite scrutiny of meningeal tissues where these follicles should have been present. Clearly, the issue of whether EBV is indeed present in the CNS is crucial not only to determine the impact of the virus on the disease in the CNS, but also for diagnostic pathology in general. The studies reveal the vagaries of pathological detection methods for infectious agents such as EBV. Care in the practice and interpretation of such methodologies are of course key for correct diagnosis and proving pathogenic …

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) displays a month-of-birth effect, with an excess of individuals being born in the spring and a deficit in the winter. This effect was shown to be more pronounced in familial cases of MS. In the present study, we investigated whether this month-of-birth association has any relation to the principal MS susceptibility gene, HLA-DRB1 . Methods: A total of 4,834 patients with MS, 4,056 controls, and 659 unaffected siblings from Canada, Sweden, and Norway were genotyped for the HLA-DRB1 gene. Month of birth was compared for patients, controls, and unaffected siblings with and without the MS risk allele HLA-DRB1*15 . Results: Significantly fewer patients with MS carrying the HLA-DRB1*15 risk allele were born in November compared with patients not carrying this allele ( p = 0.02). Additionally, patients with MS carrying HLA-DRB1*15 had a higher number of April births compared with patients with MS not carrying HLA-DRB1*15 ( p = 0.004). These differences were not present in controls or unaffected siblings. Conclusions: Month of birth, HLA-DRB1 genotype, and risk of multiple sclerosis are associated. The interaction of a seasonal risk factor with loci at or near HLA-DRB1 during gestation or shortly after birth is implicated.

The expression of the T cell membrane molecule CD27 — a molecule that has recently been shown to belong to the nerve growth factor receptor superfamily — is strongly increased after activation of T lymphocytes via the T cell receptor/CD3 complex. In addition, activated cells release a 28–32 kDa soluble form of CD27 in their supernatant which can also be detected in serum and urine of healthy individuals. In this study we show that levels of soluble (s) CD27 are significantly elevated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and of patients suffering from other inflammatory neurological diseases (OIND), whereas increased levels of sCD25 (soluble interleukin-2 receptor) were only found in CSF of patients with OIND. In MS patients, a significant correlation was found between CSF sCD27 titer and IgG index.

Background: Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) has been observed in several cases after herpetic encephalitis (HE). ARN is a devastating ocular disease with a very disappointing visual outcome. Therefore, early recognition and diagnosis are crucial. Objective: To study the association between ARN and preceding neurologic illness, especially the co-occurrence of HE in patients with ARN; to compare the causal agent in ARN and HE; and to determine the visual outcome of ARN with HE vs ARN without HE. Methods: A retrospective study including ophthalmologic and neurologic follow-up together with virologic data of patients with ARN. Participants: Seven patients with ARN diagnosed with a history of HE (13.5%) out of a source population of 52 patients with ARN admitted to a major academic ophthalmologic referral center between 1983 and 2008. Results: In five out of seven patients unilateral ARN occurred after HE under immunocompetent conditions, and both ARN and HE were caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV), whereas the other two patients were immunocompromised, had bilateral ARN, and both ARN and HE were caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). The latency period between the HE and the ARN was shorter when VZV was involved than with HSV (5 weeks vs 20.6 months). The visual outcome in patients with ARN with HE, as defined by legally blind eyes after a follow-up of 1 year, did not differ significantly from patients with ARN without HE. Conclusion: Herpetic encephalitis seems to be a risk factor for acute retinal necrosis syndrome. Since treatment may improve the outcome at least for the second eye, it is relevant for clinicians to be aware of this association.

Objective To report the relationship between disease activity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in relapsing multiple sclerosis, and the impact of natalizumab. Methods HRQoL data were available from 2,113 multiple sclerosis patients in natalizumab clinical studies. In the Natalizumab Safety and Efficacy in Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (AFFIRM) study, patients received natalizumab 300mg (n = 627) or placebo (n = 315); in the Safety and Efficacy of Natalizumab in Combination with Interferon Beta-1a in Patients with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (SENTINEL) study, patients received interferon beta-1a (IFN-β-1a) plus natalizumab 300mg (n = 589), or IFN-β-1a plus placebo (n = 582). The Short Form-36 (SF-36) and a subject global assessment visual analog scale were administered at baseline and weeks 24, 52, and 104. Prespecified analyses included changes from baseline to week 104 in SF-36 and visual analog scale scores. Odds ratios for clinically meaningful improvement or worsening on the SF-36 Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary were calculated. Results Mean baseline SF-36 scores were significantly less than the general US population and correlated with Expanded Disability Status Scale scores, sustained disability progression, relapse number, and increased volume of brain magnetic resonance imaging lesions. Natalizumab significantly improved SF-36 PCS and Mental Component Summary scores at week 104 in AFFIRM. PCS changes were significantly improved by week 24 and at all subsequent time points. Natalizumab-treated patients in both studies were more likely to experience clinically important improvement and less likely to experience clinically important deterioration on the SF-36 PCS. The visual analog scale also showed significantly improved HRQoL with natalizumab. Interpretation HRQoL was impaired in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients, correlated with severity of disease as measured by neurological ratings or magnetic resonance imaging, and improved significantly with natalizumab. Ann Neurol 2007

Article abstract We describe a patient with a glioblastoma multiforme with excessive granulocytosis in the peripheral blood. Shown at both protein and mRNA levels, the tumor produced very high levels of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). G-CSF is a growth factor that induces the recruitment of granulocytes. The paraneoplastic phenomenon described here partly mimicked a brain abscess. Production of G-CSF by (brain) tumor cells might be related to the granulocytosis common in malignant disease.

Differentiation of CD4 + T-cells is reflected by the change from the CD45RA + CD27 + phenotype via CD45RO + CD27 + to the CD45RO + CD27 − phenotype. To provide insight into the migration and activation of T-cells at the site of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), CD27 expression by T-cells in peripheral blood (PB), synovial fluid (SF), and synovial tissue (ST) as well as the levels of the soluble form of CD27 (sCD27) in plasma and SF were studied in patients with RA. Since CD4 + CD27 + T-cells are involved in providing helper activity for B-cells, we also investigated the levels of rheumatoid factors in serum and SF in relation to CD27 expression. The mean level of sCD27, which is produced by CD27 + cells, and the mean percentage of CD27 − T-cells within the CD4 + CD45RA − subset were higher in SF than in PB. SF sCD27 levels were higher in the patients with RA than in the patients with osteoarthritis, who served as controls. In ST infiltration by CD4 + CD45RO + CD27 + T-cells could be demonstrated in the rheumatoid perivascular lymphocytic aggregates with a relative increase in the percentage of CD27 − T-cells in the diffuse lymphocytic infiltrate. The sCD27 levels and the percentages of CD4 + CD27 + cells in SF correlated positively with the levels of rheumatoid factors in serum and SF. The findings presented in this study suggest a continuous influx of preactivated CD4 + CD45RO + CD27 + cells from the PB into the rheumatoid ST and further activation and differentiation to CD4 + CD45RO + CD27 − cells in situ, followed by migration to the SF. These activated T-cells are likely to play a role in synovial inflammation.

Concentrations of soluble receptors for tumor necrosis factor (sTNFR-p55 and sTNFR-p75) and soluble T cell antigens CD25 and CD27 (sCD25 and sCD27) were measured in paired serum/cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of 15 patients with AIDS dementia complex (ADC) and 15 HIV-infected control subjects (11 with other central nervous system (CNS) infections and four without CNS infection). In this study levels of sTNFR-p55, sTNFR-p75 and sCD25 were elevated in the CSF of ADC patients and of the 11 patients with other CNS infections, whereas CSF-levels of the specific T cell marker sCD27 were lower in patients with ADC as compared to the control subjects with and without other CNS infections. This pattern suggests a relative failure of eliciting a T cell-mediated immune response intrathecally in patients with ADC.

We have characterized the activation state of T cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and peripheral blood (PB) from patients with sarcoidosis, to obtain more information about their mechanisms of activation. We analyzed the expression of activation markers (CD25, HLA-DR, Leu-8, and two recently defined markers, CD69 and CD27) on T cells by two-color flow cytometry. We also measured the levels of soluble CD27 and soluble CD25 in nonconcentrated BALF and in serum by ELISA. We found that most T cells in BALF from patients, but not in the peripheral blood, expressed CD69, whereas they did not express CD27. The phenotype (CD69+CD27-) of most BALF T cells and the coexpression of CD69 with HLA-DR and/or VLA-1 indicates that they are in a state of recent and persistent activation. We confirmed previous findings of expression of CD25, HLA-DR, and Leu-8 by T lymphocytes in BALF from patients. We also confirmed increased levels of soluble CD25 in the serum from these patients. The levels of sCD27 and sCD25 in the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) were calculated on the basis of urea in BALF and serum. They were increased in the patients compared with control subjects. In both patients and control subjects, levels in ELF were higher than in the peripheral blood. This indicates shedding of sCD27 (and sCD25) in the lung compartment, which likely contributes to levels in the serum. It is known that in vitro CD27+ cells become CD27- after repeated stimulation and that CD27- cells, after restimulation, do not shed sCD27.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Genome-wide association studies involve several hundred thousand markers and, even when quality control is scrupulous, are invariably confounded by residual uncorrected errors that can falsely inflate the apparent difference between cases and controls (so-called genomic inflation). As a consequence such studies inevitably generate false positives alongside genuine associations. By use of Bayesian logic and empirical data, the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium suggested that association studies in complex disease should involve at least 2000 cases and 2000 controls, at which level they predicted that p values of less than 5×10 −7 would more commonly signify true positives than false positives.