(HealthDay News) — Three factors are associated with an increased risk for onset of clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) among individuals with radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS), according to a study published online Oct. 11 in JAMA Network Open.
Christine Lebrun-Frénay, M.D., from the Université Nice Côte d’Azur in France, and colleagues used data from a prospective follow-up of 354 individuals with RIS identified at one of 26 tertiary centers for MS care in France to evaluate the two-year risk for onset of clinical symptoms of MS.
The researchers found that 49 patients (13.8%) had onset of clinical symptoms within two years, which was associated with an estimated risk for conversion of 19.2%. Age younger than 37 years (hazard ratio [HR], 4.04), spinal cord lesions (HR, 5.11), and gadolinium-enhancing lesions at the time of the index magnetic resonance imaging scan (HR, 2.09) were independently associated with an increased risk for conversion to MS in a multivariate analysis. The probability of a clinical event at two years was 27.9% for patients with two of these risk factors at the time of the index magnetic resonance imaging scan and 90.9% for patients with all three factors (three risk factors versus none: HR, 23.34).
“RIS may be well-positioned to serve as a new focal point in our scientific efforts to more accurately and at an earlier stage recognize, guide, and possibly treat to optimize care,” the authors write.
