QL18
Can Presenting Symptoms be Associated with Long-Term Disease Severity in Patients with MS
MS is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system.The disease is manifested in changes in vision, sensory loss ,motor weakness and balance symptoms.
Objectives:
The association of MRI changes such as lesion volume , EDSS with presenting symptoms have not been explored.The current study is aimed at establishing an association of presenting symptoms with lesion volumes, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Beta carotene levels.
Methods:
EDSS scores, vitamin A levels, retinal binding protein, beta carotene, vitamin D and lesion volume were analyzed in 19 patients with RRMS. Patients were divided into four groups based upon their first presenting symptoms: visual (6 patients), motor (4), sensory (3 ), and balance (6). Patients were then further subcategorized into racial groups (Hispanic white, non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black). Average values of the lab values and lesion volumes were compared between the four groups. T-tests and ANOVA were performed.
Results:
T-tests and ANOVA tests garnered no significant differences in vitamin A levels, EDSS scores, or lesion volumes across all presenting groups. A positive correlation (0.99) was illustrated between vitamin A level and lesion volume in patients presenting with sensory symptoms and motor symptom(0.72). The average vitamin A levels were lowest in patients presenting with sensory(53) and visual symptoms(66.1) compared to those with motor and balance symptoms.Beta carotene was lowest on average in patients presenting with visual symptoms (16.167) compared with those first afflicted with motor (41.7), sensory (21), or balance (49.78) associated symptoms. Average lesion volume of patients with visual (16014) and balance (16996) were greater than that of the motor (12383) and sensory (5828). Patients presenting with visual symptoms had lower average vitamin D (35.1) versus patients presenting with balance (49.8)Hispanic white patients presented with more visual symptoms (3 of 6) and non-Hispanic black patients were symptomatic of balance issues (5 of 6 patients ).
Conclusions:
Overall, significant differences were not seen across the four groups. Further analysis is required to determine if statistically significant differences truly exist, as the sample size involved was low.