GLANCE trial

Goodman A et al.  GLANCE : Results of a phase 2 randomized double blind placebo controlled study.  Neurology 2009; 72:806-812.

Study adding Tysabri to glatiramer-- safety trial.  Results showed increased natalizumab antibodies, but safe otherwise.  Efficacy was much better in combination group than in the GA alone group re MRI.  110 patients were randomized, half got GA + placebo, others GA + NAT.  Took patients with active disease year before entry.

NABs and Steroids-- the Mayo Clinic critically appraised

Zarkou S., et al. I Dean Wingerchuk)  Ar corticosteroids efficacious for preventing or treating neutralizaing antibodies in multiple sclerosis patients treated with Beta interferons?  A Critically appraised topic. The Neurologist 2010; 16: 212-214.

Bottom line-- idea of using steroids in any scenario for Nabs is based on dubious evidence.

Outcomes among natalizumab patients acquiring PML

Vermesch P et al.  Clinical outcomes of natalizumab - associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.  Neurology 2011; 76:1696-1704

Authors analyzed 35 patients with PML related to natalizumab.  25 survived.  Survivors had lower age and EDSS on mean, and shorter time to diagnosis of PML.  86 % had unilobar or multilobar disease on initial PML brain MRI, whereas 70 percent of fatal cases has widespread disease on MRI.  Disability scores (Karnofsky scale) among survivors was highly variable.  16/36/48 % respectively had mild, moderate or severe disability.

Tidbits
Almost all patients withdrawn from natalizumab got IRIS and were treated with i-c corticosteroids, in addition to plasma pheresis to removed natalizumab.  They also received mirtazepine or mefloquine due to in vitro studies showing an effect on replication. 

Tables show much less nonfatal PML in US v. Europe.  Rate of nonfatal to fatal PML was, US: 3:8 in Europe 22:2.  This is not discussed but I wonder if more nonfatal PML slips through cracks in US  and is either not diagnosed or reported. 

Posterior fossa PML was rare.  Most patients had enhancing lesions.

Vitamin D and African Americans with MS

Gelfand JM, Cree BAC, McElroy J et al.  Vitamin D in African Americans with Multiple Sclerosis.  Neurology 2011; 76:1824-1830. 

339 African American MS patients and 342 controls were compared.  MS patients had lower vitamin D levels than controls, but the lower levels did not affect disease severity.  The differences were explained by geography and climate, as well as ancestry. 

Natural history of MS relapses

Bejaoui K, Rolak L.  What is the risk of permanent disability from an MS relapse?  Neurology  2010: 74: 900-902.

Authors review >2500 relapses and find only 7 with relapse with EDSS >6 that did not recover. 2 of those were on interferons at the time.  Two had a presentation of tumefactive MS.  They concluded that the fear of sudden irreversible disability should not affect treatment decisions.