title: Age-related gadolinium-enhancement of MRI brain lesions in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: There is evidence that inflammatory processes in multiple sclerosis (MS) are age-dependent. In this study we evaluated the impact of aging on gadolinium (Gd) enhancement of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions in MS patients. Pre- and post-contrast MRI scans, acquired using a standardized procedure by the same MRI scanner, at least 1 month far from clinical relapse or steroid treatment, were examined in 200 disease-modifying treatment free MS patients. Seventy-three patients (36.5%) showed at least one enhancing lesion. Age at MRI examination (p=0.0001), disease duration (p=0.002) and EDSS score were significantly (p=0.02) lower, whereas relapse rate in the preceding 2 years was higher (p=0.003) in patients with enhancing lesions than in patients with unenhancing scans. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that current age was the variable better predicting Gd enhancement (p=0.004). The odds ratios were 0.95 (CI: 0.92-0.98) for each year of patient's age and 0.64 (CI: 0.48-0.87) for each age decade. The main changes in enhancement risk occurred after 35 years of age. Multivariate Poisson regression model showed that relapse rate in the preceding 2 years (p<0.0001) and current age (p=0.0003) were the best predictors of the number of enhancing lesions. This information can be used to increase the statistical power of clinical trials using Gd-enhancing lesions as an outcome measure.
authors.affiliation: Neurophysiopathology Unit, San Paolo Hospital, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tortorella
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bellacosa
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paolicelli
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuiani
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Monte
authors.forename: Isabella Laura
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Simone
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giaquinto
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Livrea
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trojano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D005682:Gadolinium