Primary and secondary MRI outcomes in patients with MS with specific comorbiditiesa
| Patients with MS without Comorbidities (n = 574) | Patients with MS with Asthma (n = 41) | Patients with MS with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 (n = 40) | Patients with MS with Psoriasis (n = 33) | Patients with MS with Rheumatoid Arthritis (n = 22) | Patients with MS with Thyroid Disease (n = 97) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary MRI outcomes | ||||||
| T2-LV | 15.3 (18.2) | 12.9 (14.2) | 19.3 (17) | 17.2 (18.1) | 17.1 (19.1) | 12.9 (14.2) |
| T1-LV | 2.6 (4.7) | 2.2 (2.7) | 2.9 (3.5) | 3.5 (5.2) | 3.4 (5.9) | 2.2 (4) |
| Gd-LV | 0.1 (0.4) | 0.08 (0.1) | 0.1 (0.05) | 0.04 (0.1) | 0.1 (0.2) | 0.08 (0.2) |
| NBV | 1481 (86.4) | 1490.6 (90.5) | 1434.4 (89)b | 1394.3 (105)c | 1461.2 (91.9) | 1454.3 (87.3)b |
| MTR-NABT | 35.3 (5) | 36.4 (3.7) | 35.1 (4.5) | 33.1 (4.7)b | 33 (4.6) | 33.8 (5.7) |
| Secondary MRI outcomes | ||||||
| NGMV | 747.9 (81.5) | NA | 708.2 (58.9)b | 694.4 (89)d | NA | 722.9 (68.5)b |
| NWMV | 732.6 (64) | NA | 726.3 (58.9) | 699.8 (84)b | NA | 731.3 (52.9) |
| NCV | 557.6 (62.8) | NA | 522.8 ((53.7)d | 516.2 (91)d | NA | 537.9 (52.7)b |
| NLVV | 45.3 (20.5) | NA | 52.5 (21.5) | 50.7 (20.8) | NA | 45.5 (21.3) |
| MTR-NAGM | 32.3 (5.1) | NA | 32 (4.3) | 30.1 (4.7) | NA | 30.8 (6.2) |
| MTR-NAWM | 38.1 (4.9) | NA | 38.2 (4.3) | 36.2 (5.6) | NA | 36.7 (5.9) |
| MTR-T2-LV | 32.8 (5.1) | NA | 32.9 (4.6) | 32.1 (4.4) | NA | 32.7 (5.2) |
| MD × 103 | 1.22 (0.22) | NA | 1.32 (0.37)d | 1.25 (0.13) | NA | 1.23 (0.31) |
Note:—NA indicates not available; NBV, normalized brain volume; Gd, gadolinium; NGMV, normalized gray matter volume; NWMV, normalized white matter volume; NCV, normalized cortical volume; NLVV, normalized lateral ventricle volume.
↵a The data are expressed as mean and SD. Volumes are expressed in milliliters. MTR values are expressed as percentage units. MD is expressed as mm2/s. Because there were only a few subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 3), type 1 diabetes mellitus (n = 3), Crohn disease (n = 1), and myasthenia gravis (n = 1), they were excluded from MRI analyses. Because no significant MRI primary outcome differences in patients with MS with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, compared with patients with MS without any comorbidities, were found, no comparison of secondary MRI outcomes was performed for these comorbidities (NA). Analysis of covariance, adjusted for age, sex, MS subtype, disability status, and use and duration of disease-modifying treatment, was used to explore the difference between patients with MS with specific comorbidities compared with patients with MS without any comorbidities. The Benjamini-Hochberg correction was used to minimize the false discovery rate, and corrected P values < .05 were considered significant.
↵b P < .05 shows significant differences of specific comorbidities compared with patients with MS without any comorbidities.
↵c P < .001.
↵d P < .01.