The Use of Immunosuppressant Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis in Italy: A Multicenter Retroprospective Study

Immunosuppressive agents (ISA) have been used in multiple sclerosis (MS) for decades, frequently as off label licensed therapies. Given the new MS treatment landscape, what place do ISA have in combating MS? We conducted a retrospective multicentre study to investigate the frequency of ISA prescript...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2016-06, Vol.11 (6), p.e0157721-e0157721
Main Authors: D'Amico, Emanuele, Leone, Carmela, Graziano, Giusi, Amato, Maria Pia, Bergamaschi, Roberto, Cavalla, Paola, Coniglio, Gabriella, Di Battista, Giancarlo, Ferrò, Maria Teresa, Granella, Franco, Granieri, Enrico, Lugaresi, Alessandra, Lus, Giacomo, Millefiorini, Enrico, Pozzilli, Carlo, Tedeschi, Gioacchino, Zappia, Mario, Comi, Giancarlo, Trojano, Maria, Lepore, Vito, Patti, Francesco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Autoimmune diseases
Azathioprine
Azathioprine - administration & dosage
Azathioprine - adverse effects
Azathioprine - therapeutic use
Biology and Life Sciences
Care and treatment
Clinical medicine
Complications and side effects
Dosage and administration
Female
Humans
Immune system
Immunosuppression - adverse effects
Immunosuppression - methods
Immunosuppressive agents
Immunosuppressive Agents - administration & dosage
Immunosuppressive Agents - adverse effects
Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use
Interferon
Interferons - administration & dosage
Interferons - adverse effects
Interferons - therapeutic use
Male
Medicine and Health Sciences
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis - drug therapy
Multiple Sclerosis - therapy
Neurology
Patient outcomes
Patients
People and Places
Physical Sciences
Research and Analysis Methods
Retrospective Studies
Social Sciences
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Summary:Immunosuppressive agents (ISA) have been used in multiple sclerosis (MS) for decades, frequently as off label licensed therapies. Given the new MS treatment landscape, what place do ISA have in combating MS? We conducted a retrospective multicentre study to investigate the frequency of ISA prescription in 17 Italian MS centres, and to describe the clinical factors related to ISA use. Out of 6,447 MS patients, 2,034 (31.6%) were treated with ISA, with Azathioprine being the most frequently used ISA overall. MS patients treated with ISA alone were more frequently affected by the progressive course (both primary and secondary) of the disease (RRR 5.82, 95% CI 4.14-8.16, p
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0157721