The impact of COVID-19 infection on multiple sclerosis disease course across 12 countries: a propensity-score-matched cohort study

Background: The relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse and disease progression remains unclear. Previous studies are limited by small sample sizes and most lack a propensity-matched control cohort. Objective: To evaluate the effect of C...

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Main Authors: David Levitz, Yi Chao Foong, Paul Sanfilippo, Tim Spelman, Louise Rath, Angie Roldan, Anoushka Lal, Mastura Monif, Vilija Jokubaitis, Serkan Ozakbas, Raed Alroughani, Cavit Boz, Murat Terzi, Tomas Kalincik, Yolanda Blanco, Matteo Foschi, Andrea Surcinelli, Katherine Buzzard, Olga Skibina, Guy Laureys, Liesbeth Van Hijfte, Cristina Ramo-Tello, Aysun Soysal, Jose Luis Sanchez-Menoyo, Mario Habek, Elisabetta Cartechini, Juan Ignacio Rojas, Rana Karabudak, Barbara Willekens, Talal Al-Harbi, Yara Fragoso, Tamara Castillo-Triviño, Danny Decoo, Maria Cecilia Aragon de Vecino, Eli Skromne, Carmen-Adella Sirbu, Chao Zhu, Daniel Merlo, Melissa Gresle, Helmut Butzkueven, Anneke Van Der Walt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2024-11-01
Series:Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/17562864241278496
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author David Levitz
Yi Chao Foong
Paul Sanfilippo
Tim Spelman
Louise Rath
Angie Roldan
Anoushka Lal
Mastura Monif
Vilija Jokubaitis
Serkan Ozakbas
Raed Alroughani
Cavit Boz
Murat Terzi
Tomas Kalincik
Yolanda Blanco
Matteo Foschi
Andrea Surcinelli
Katherine Buzzard
Olga Skibina
Guy Laureys
Liesbeth Van Hijfte
Cristina Ramo-Tello
Aysun Soysal
Jose Luis Sanchez-Menoyo
Mario Habek
Elisabetta Cartechini
Juan Ignacio Rojas
Rana Karabudak
Barbara Willekens
Talal Al-Harbi
Yara Fragoso
Tamara Castillo-Triviño
Danny Decoo
Maria Cecilia Aragon de Vecino
Eli Skromne
Carmen-Adella Sirbu
Chao Zhu
Daniel Merlo
Melissa Gresle
Helmut Butzkueven
Anneke Van Der Walt
author_facet David Levitz
Yi Chao Foong
Paul Sanfilippo
Tim Spelman
Louise Rath
Angie Roldan
Anoushka Lal
Mastura Monif
Vilija Jokubaitis
Serkan Ozakbas
Raed Alroughani
Cavit Boz
Murat Terzi
Tomas Kalincik
Yolanda Blanco
Matteo Foschi
Andrea Surcinelli
Katherine Buzzard
Olga Skibina
Guy Laureys
Liesbeth Van Hijfte
Cristina Ramo-Tello
Aysun Soysal
Jose Luis Sanchez-Menoyo
Mario Habek
Elisabetta Cartechini
Juan Ignacio Rojas
Rana Karabudak
Barbara Willekens
Talal Al-Harbi
Yara Fragoso
Tamara Castillo-Triviño
Danny Decoo
Maria Cecilia Aragon de Vecino
Eli Skromne
Carmen-Adella Sirbu
Chao Zhu
Daniel Merlo
Melissa Gresle
Helmut Butzkueven
Anneke Van Der Walt
author_sort David Levitz
collection DOAJ
description Background: The relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse and disease progression remains unclear. Previous studies are limited by small sample sizes and most lack a propensity-matched control cohort. Objective: To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 infection on MS disease course with a large propensity-matched cohort. Design: This multi-centre cohort study analysed relapse and disability outcomes post-COVID-19 infection after balancing covariates using a propensity score matching method. The study period was from the 11th of September 2019 to the 16th of February 2023. The mean follow-up period was 1.7 years. Methods: Data were retrieved from the MSBase Registry. Propensity scores were obtained based on age, sex, disease duration, baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), MS course, relapses pre-baseline, disease-modifying therapy (DMT) class and country. Primary outcomes were time to first relapse, annualised relapse rate (ARR) and time to confirm EDSS progression. Secondary outcomes were time to EDSS of 3, 4 or 6. Sensitivity analyses with baseline DMT classes were performed. Results: The study included 2253 cases and 6441 controls. After matching, there were 2161 cases and an equal number of matched controls. Cases had a significantly higher ARR (ARR = 0.10 [95% CI 0.09–0.11]) compared to controls (ARR = 0.07 [95% CI 0.06–0.08]). Cases had a significantly greater hazard of time to first relapse compared to controls (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.54 [95% CI 1.29–1.84]). There was no association between COVID-19 infection and 24-week EDSS progression (HR = 1.18 [95% CI 0.92–1.52]), or time to EDSS of 3, 4 or 6. For patients on interferons and glatiramer acetate (BRACE), COVID-19 infection was associated with a greater hazard of time to first relapse (HR = 1.83 [95% CI 1.25–2.68]) and greater hazard of time to EDSS of 3 (HR = 2.04 [95% CI 1.06–3.90]) compared to patients on BRACE therapy without COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: COVID-19 infection was associated with a significantly increased MS relapse rate and a shorter time to first relapse. There was no effect on confirmed EDSS progression over the short term. These results support ongoing COVID-19 risk minimisation strategies to protect patients with MS.
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spelling doaj-art-d14c57df518242b68f0d1c85d8a576572025-08-20T02:12:55ZengSAGE PublishingTherapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders1756-28642024-11-011710.1177/17562864241278496The impact of COVID-19 infection on multiple sclerosis disease course across 12 countries: a propensity-score-matched cohort studyDavid LevitzYi Chao FoongPaul SanfilippoTim SpelmanLouise RathAngie RoldanAnoushka LalMastura MonifVilija JokubaitisSerkan OzakbasRaed AlroughaniCavit BozMurat TerziTomas KalincikYolanda BlancoMatteo FoschiAndrea SurcinelliKatherine BuzzardOlga SkibinaGuy LaureysLiesbeth Van HijfteCristina Ramo-TelloAysun SoysalJose Luis Sanchez-MenoyoMario HabekElisabetta CartechiniJuan Ignacio RojasRana KarabudakBarbara WillekensTalal Al-HarbiYara FragosoTamara Castillo-TriviñoDanny DecooMaria Cecilia Aragon de VecinoEli SkromneCarmen-Adella SirbuChao ZhuDaniel MerloMelissa GresleHelmut ButzkuevenAnneke Van Der WaltBackground: The relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse and disease progression remains unclear. Previous studies are limited by small sample sizes and most lack a propensity-matched control cohort. Objective: To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 infection on MS disease course with a large propensity-matched cohort. Design: This multi-centre cohort study analysed relapse and disability outcomes post-COVID-19 infection after balancing covariates using a propensity score matching method. The study period was from the 11th of September 2019 to the 16th of February 2023. The mean follow-up period was 1.7 years. Methods: Data were retrieved from the MSBase Registry. Propensity scores were obtained based on age, sex, disease duration, baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), MS course, relapses pre-baseline, disease-modifying therapy (DMT) class and country. Primary outcomes were time to first relapse, annualised relapse rate (ARR) and time to confirm EDSS progression. Secondary outcomes were time to EDSS of 3, 4 or 6. Sensitivity analyses with baseline DMT classes were performed. Results: The study included 2253 cases and 6441 controls. After matching, there were 2161 cases and an equal number of matched controls. Cases had a significantly higher ARR (ARR = 0.10 [95% CI 0.09–0.11]) compared to controls (ARR = 0.07 [95% CI 0.06–0.08]). Cases had a significantly greater hazard of time to first relapse compared to controls (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.54 [95% CI 1.29–1.84]). There was no association between COVID-19 infection and 24-week EDSS progression (HR = 1.18 [95% CI 0.92–1.52]), or time to EDSS of 3, 4 or 6. For patients on interferons and glatiramer acetate (BRACE), COVID-19 infection was associated with a greater hazard of time to first relapse (HR = 1.83 [95% CI 1.25–2.68]) and greater hazard of time to EDSS of 3 (HR = 2.04 [95% CI 1.06–3.90]) compared to patients on BRACE therapy without COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: COVID-19 infection was associated with a significantly increased MS relapse rate and a shorter time to first relapse. There was no effect on confirmed EDSS progression over the short term. These results support ongoing COVID-19 risk minimisation strategies to protect patients with MS.https://doi.org/10.1177/17562864241278496
spellingShingle David Levitz
Yi Chao Foong
Paul Sanfilippo
Tim Spelman
Louise Rath
Angie Roldan
Anoushka Lal
Mastura Monif
Vilija Jokubaitis
Serkan Ozakbas
Raed Alroughani
Cavit Boz
Murat Terzi
Tomas Kalincik
Yolanda Blanco
Matteo Foschi
Andrea Surcinelli
Katherine Buzzard
Olga Skibina
Guy Laureys
Liesbeth Van Hijfte
Cristina Ramo-Tello
Aysun Soysal
Jose Luis Sanchez-Menoyo
Mario Habek
Elisabetta Cartechini
Juan Ignacio Rojas
Rana Karabudak
Barbara Willekens
Talal Al-Harbi
Yara Fragoso
Tamara Castillo-Triviño
Danny Decoo
Maria Cecilia Aragon de Vecino
Eli Skromne
Carmen-Adella Sirbu
Chao Zhu
Daniel Merlo
Melissa Gresle
Helmut Butzkueven
Anneke Van Der Walt
The impact of COVID-19 infection on multiple sclerosis disease course across 12 countries: a propensity-score-matched cohort study
Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders
title The impact of COVID-19 infection on multiple sclerosis disease course across 12 countries: a propensity-score-matched cohort study
title_full The impact of COVID-19 infection on multiple sclerosis disease course across 12 countries: a propensity-score-matched cohort study
title_fullStr The impact of COVID-19 infection on multiple sclerosis disease course across 12 countries: a propensity-score-matched cohort study
title_full_unstemmed The impact of COVID-19 infection on multiple sclerosis disease course across 12 countries: a propensity-score-matched cohort study
title_short The impact of COVID-19 infection on multiple sclerosis disease course across 12 countries: a propensity-score-matched cohort study
title_sort impact of covid 19 infection on multiple sclerosis disease course across 12 countries a propensity score matched cohort study
url https://doi.org/10.1177/17562864241278496
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