Active clinical trials for "Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting"

Treatment of acute relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) has remained largely unaltered within past years. However, evidence defining the exact role of apheresis treatment in the therapeutic sequence is still incomplete. INCIDENT-MS evaluates the mechanism of action of immunoadsorption compared to escalated methyl prednisolone treatment in steroid-refractory MS relapses and thereby will help to identify predictive markers for optimal treatment choice and will generate further insights into the pathophysiology of MS relapses.

HLA-DRB1 * Gene and some genes involved in inflammation and immunity (IL-7R, GPC5, CTSS) have been linked to risk of MS and the response to treatment with immunomodulators. This research aims to estimate the risk that confers some variations in the sequence of these genes.

This is a multi-center, prospective, controlled study. MS patients (1° group: 30 patients in relapse; 2° group: 30 patients in remission) and age/sex-matched healthy controls (3° group: 30 subjects) will be enrolled in the study. Patients' disability level will be evaluated by EDSS and MSFC. Patients and controls will be tested for either coagulation/complement (C3, C4, C4a, C9, fibrinogen, factor VIII and X, D-dimer, protein C, protein S, antithrombin, factor II, aPTT, von-Willebrand factor), soluble markers of endothelial damage (thrombomodulin, Endothelial Protein C Receptor), antiphospholipid antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, complete blood count, viral serological assays or microRNA microarray. Patients will undergo dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MRI using a 3.0-T scanner to evaluate CBF, CBV, MTT, lesion number and volume.