Clinical predictors of response to immunomodulators for multiple sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine, based on clinical criteria, the proportion of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients responsive to immunomodulators (RI) and nonresponsive to immunomodulators (NRI), and to ascertain whether clinical and epidemiological data differs between RI and NRI patient groups.


METHODS
Patients were assessed on rate of exarcerbations per year, for the period before and after commencement of treatment. The RI and NRI groups were compared for several clinical and epidemiological characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
A total of 31.4% of the patients were nonresponders to the immunomodulatory treatment. The main predictors of immunomodulatory response were early diagnostic and commencement of therapy and high rate of annual exacerbations prior to treatment. Given the arsenal of medication options available for MS management, screening potential candidates for different therapeutic approaches are critical to optimize evolution of patients with the disease.
Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, Brazil. guilhermesolival@gmail.com
Guilherme Sciascia do
GS
Olival
Leonardo Ciciarelli Pereira
LC
Lima
Gabriel Paiva Silva
GP
Lima
Charles Peter
CP
Tilbery
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007155:Immunologic Factors