title: Disability progression markers over 6-12 years in interferon-β-treated multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: To investigate the association between activity during interferon-beta (IFNβ) therapy and disability outcomes in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
  
  
  
  A longitudinal study based on two previously described cohorts of IFNβ-treated RRMS patients was conducted. Patients were classified according to clinical activity after 2 years (clinical cohort) or to clinical and radiological activity after 1 year (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cohort). Multivariate Cox models were calculated for early disease activity predicting long-term disability.
  
  
  
  A total of 516 patients from two different cohorts were included in the analyses. Persistent clinical disease activity during the first 2 years of therapy predicted severe long-term disability (clinical cohort). In the MRI cohort, modified Rio score and no or minimal evidence of disease activity (NEDA/MEDA) did not identify patients with risk of Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) worsening. However, a Rio score ≥ 2 (hazard ratio (HR): 3.3, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.7-6.4); ≥3 new T2 lesions (HR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.5-5.6); or ≥2 Gd-enhancing lesions (HR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1-4) were able to identify patients with EDSS worsening.
  
  
  
  Although early activity during IFNβ therapy is associated with poor long-term outcomes, minimal degree of activity does not seem to be predictive of EDSS worsening over 6.7-year mean follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Río
authors.affiliation: Unitat de RM, Servicio de Radiologia, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Àlex
authors.initials: À
authors.lastname: Rovira
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tintoré
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Otero-Romero
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Comabella
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ángela
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Vidal-Jordana
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Galán
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castilló
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arrambide
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nos
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tur
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Berta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pujal
authors.affiliation: Unitat de RM, Servicio de Radiologia, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Auger
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sastre-Garriga
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurologia-Neuroimmunolgia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Montalban
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016899:Interferon-beta
keywords: MRI; Multiple sclerosis; disability; interferon-beta; outcome measurement; treatment response