Analysis of Evusheld safety and efficacy in multiple sclerosis patients.

BACKGROUND: In December 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization for the combination monoclonal antibodies tixagevimab and cilgavimab (Evusheld - AstraZeneca) for COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis. While COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, there is concern for insufficient antibody response in patients receiving B-cell depleting therapies. The literature is sparse regarding the safety and efficacy of Evusheld use in MS patients. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the administration, safety, and efficacy of Evusheld in MS patients. METHODS: Participants were consecutively recruited from the UCSD MS Center from July 2022 to October 2022. We conducted both a review of medical records and a prospective cohort study. Inclusion criteria included prior diagnosis of MS and eligibility for Evusheld injection due to use of B-cell depleting disease modifying therapy (DMT). All eligible patients were evaluated to determine uptake of Evusheld use. Participant surveys were distributed to Evusheld recipients that evaluated for potential Evusheld side effects and COVID-19 vaccination and infection history. The proportion of COVID-19 infections among participants with or without Evusheld use were compared using Fisher's exact test, and a negative binomial regression analysis was used to evaluate risk for COVID-19 infection after Evusheld administration. RESULTS: A review of medical records showed that 79 MS patients were offered Evusheld by their clinicians during the recruitment period; 48 patients ultimately received the injection. Forty-two participants consented to the prospective cross-sectional study (mean age 46.4 years, 71.8 % female), of which 33 individuals received Evusheld. All participants received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose, with 92.3 % receiving the initial series and at least one booster dose. One-third (30.8 %) of participants had a previous COVID-19 infection. DMTs included ocrelizumab, rituximab, and ofatumumab. Of the 33 participants who received Evusheld, 10 (30.3 %) reported experiencing at least one side effect. Injection site reactions included pain (most common), itchiness, and redness. General side effects included fatigue (most common), headache, muscle pain, and weakness. Of the 33 participants who received Evusheld, seven participants (21.2 %) tested positive for COVID-19 within 6 months of Evusheld injection. In an unadjusted binomial regression analysis, Evusheld administration was associated with a reduction in COVID-19 infection risk (OR 0.22, 95 % CI 0.05 - 1.02, p = 0.05). After adjusting for age and sex, Evusheld administration was still associated with a lower COVID-19 infection risk though it did not achieve nominal significance (OR 0.21, 95 % CI 0.04 - 1.09, p = 0.06). Of the 9 participants who were offered but did not receive Evusheld, five (55.6 %) tested positive for COVID-19 (p = 0.04 with Pearson's chi square test and p = 0.09 on Fisher's exact test). CONCLUSIONS: Our medical records data demonstrated that only 61 % of MS patients offered Evusheld received the injection. Evusheld seems to be largely well-tolerated. No serious adverse effects were reported. The use of Evusheld was associated with fewer COVID-19 infections, but this did not reach nominal statistical significance in the modest sample size. The lessons learned from the initial Evusheld experience may be applied to future interventions directed at infection prevention in MS patients on immunomodulatory therapies.

Characterization of cortico-meningeal translocator protein expression in multiple sclerosis.

Compartmentalized meningeal inflammation is thought to represent one of the key players in the pathogenesis of cortical demyelination in multiple sclerosis. PET targeting the 18 kDa mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO) is a molecular-specific approach to quantifying immune cell-mediated density in the cortico-meningeal tissue compartment in vivo. This study aimed to characterize cortical and meningeal TSPO expression in a heterogeneous cohort of multiple sclerosis cases using in vivo simultaneous MR-PET with 11C-PBR28, a second-generation TSPO radioligand, and ex vivo immunohistochemistry. Forty-nine multiple sclerosis patients (21 with secondary progressive and 28 with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis) with mixed or high affinity binding for 11C-PBR28 underwent 90-min 11C-PBR28 simultaneous MR-PET. Tracer binding was measured using 60-90 min normalized standardized uptake value ratios sampled at mid-cortical depth and ∼3 mm above the pial surface. Data in multiple sclerosis patients were compared to 21 age-matched healthy controls. To characterize the nature of 11C-PBR28 PET uptake, the meningeal and cortical lesion cellular expression of TSPO was further described in post-mortem brain tissue from 20 cases with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and five age-matched healthy donors. Relative to healthy controls, patients with multiple sclerosis exhibited abnormally increased TSPO signal in the cortex and meningeal tissue, diffusively in progressive disease and more localized in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. In multiple sclerosis, increased meningeal TSPO levels were associated with increased Expanded Disability Status Scale scores (P = 0.007, by linear regression). Immunohistochemistry, validated using in situ sequencing analysis, revealed increased TSPO expression in the meninges and adjacent subpial cortical lesions of post-mortem secondary progressive multiple sclerosis cases relative to control tissue. In these cases, increased TSPO expression was related to meningeal inflammation. Translocator protein immunostaining was detected on meningeal MHC-class II+ macrophages and cortical-activated MHC-class II+ TMEM119+ microglia. In vivo arterial blood data and neuropathology showed that endothelial binding did not significantly account for increased TSPO cortico-meningeal expression in multiple sclerosis. Our findings support the use of TSPO-PET in multiple sclerosis for imaging in vivo inflammation in the cortico-meningeal brain tissue compartment and provide in vivo evidence implicating meningeal inflammation in the pathogenesis of the disease.

The NHANES Biological Age Index demonstrates accelerated aging in MS patients.

BACKGROUND: Chronological age is associated with disability accumulation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Biological age may give more precise estimates of aging pathways associations with MS severity. Both normal aging and accelerated aging from MS may negatively impact disease course. Multi-marker indices of aging, such as the NHANES biological age index (BAI), may be more robust than single biomarkers in capturing biological age and are strongly associated with mortality risk and aging-related diseases. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate whether the NHANES BAI, utilizing readily available measures in the clinic, captures accelerating aging and correlates with disability in MS participants. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional case-control pilot study. Consecutive patients who met the 2017 McDonald's Criteria for MS were recruited from May 2020 to May 2022 along with age-similar healthy controls. BAI components included blood pressure, FEV1, serum creatinine, C-reactive protein, blood-urea nitrogen, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, CMV IgG, and hemoglobin A1c. The index was calculated using the Klemara and Doubal method. Spearman correlation and multivariable linear regression models were used to assess the association between BAI and MS clinical outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 51 MS (68.6% female) and 38 control (68.4% female) participants were recruited. BAI correlated with chronological age (CA) in MS (r2=0.90,p<0.0001) and control participants (r2 =0.87,p<0.0001). The mean BAI was 1.4 years older than CA in MS participants (range +15 to -10.5 years) and 2.2 years younger in control participants (range +11.2 to -14.1 years). In unadjusted Spearman analyses, BAI correlated with the timed 25-foot walk (T25FW, rhos=0.31, p = 0.045) and symbol digit modalities test (SDMT rhos = 0.35, p = 0.018). In a multivariable regression model, a 5-year older BAI was associated with a 1.2-point lower score on SDMT (95%CI -2.2 to -0.25, p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: MS participants were biologically older than their own chronological age and age-similar controls. In this modest-sized pilot sample, there was strongest correlation for MS outcome measures between BAI and the SDMT. These results support further study of the BAI as a marker of biological age variability in MS.

Cortical and phase rim lesions on 7 T MRI as markers of multiple sclerosis disease progression.

In multiple sclerosis, individual lesion-type patterns on magnetic resonance imaging might be valuable for predicting clinical outcome and monitoring treatment effects. Neuropathological and imaging studies consistently show that cortical lesions contribute to disease progression. The presence of chronic active white matter lesions harbouring a paramagnetic rim on susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging has also been associated with an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis. It is, however, still uncertain how these two types of lesions relate to each other, or which one plays a greater role in disability progression. In this prospective, longitudinal study in 100 multiple sclerosis patients (74 relapsing-remitting, 26 secondary progressive), we used ultra-high field 7-T susceptibility imaging to characterize cortical and rim lesion presence and evolution. Clinical evaluations were obtained over a mean period of 3.2 years in 71 patients, 46 of which had a follow-up magnetic resonance imaging. At baseline, cortical and rim lesions were identified in 96% and 63% of patients, respectively. Rim lesion prevalence was similar across disease stages. Patients with rim lesions had higher cortical and overall white matter lesion load than subjects without rim lesions (P = 0.018-0.05). Altogether, cortical lesions increased by both count and volume (P = 0.004) over time, while rim lesions expanded their volume (P = 0.023) whilst lacking new rim lesions; rimless white matter lesions increased their count but decreased their volume (P = 0.016). We used a modern machine learning algorithm based on extreme gradient boosting techniques to assess the cumulative power as well as the individual importance of cortical and rim lesion types in predicting disease stage and disability progression, alongside with more traditional imaging markers. The most influential imaging features that discriminated between multiple sclerosis stages (area under the curve±standard deviation = 0.82 ± 0.08) included, as expected, the normalized white matter and thalamic volume, white matter lesion volume, but also leukocortical lesion volume. Subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid and leukocortical lesion volumes, along with rim lesion volume were the most important predictors of Expanded Disability Status Scale progression (area under the curve±standard deviation = 0.69 ± 0.12). Taken together, these results indicate that while cortical lesions are extremely frequent in multiple sclerosis, rim lesion development occurs only in a subset of patients. Both, however, persist over time and relate to disease progression. Their combined assessment is needed to improve the ability of identifying multiple sclerosis patients at risk of progressing disease.

The relevance of multiple sclerosis cortical lesions on cortical thinning and their clinical impact as assessed by 7.0-T MRI.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate at 7.0-T MRI a) the role of multiple sclerosis (MS) cortical lesions in cortical tissue loss b) their relation to neurological disability. METHODS: In 76 relapsing remitting and 26 secondary progressive MS patients (N = 102) and 56 healthy subjects 7.0-T T2*-weighted images were acquired for lesion segmentation; 3.0-T T1-weighted structural scans for cortical surface reconstruction/cortical thickness estimation. Patients were dichotomized based on the median cortical lesion volume in low and high cortical lesion load groups that differed by age, MS phenotype and degree of neurological disability. Group differences in cortical thickness were tested on reconstructed cortical surface. Patients were evaluated clinically by means of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). RESULTS: Cortical lesions were detected in 96% of patients. White matter lesion load was greater in the high than in the low cortical lesion load MS group (p = 0.01). Both MS groups disclosed clusters (prevalently parietal) of cortical thinning relative to healthy subjects, though these regions did not show the highest cortical lesion density, which predominantly involved frontal regions. Cortical thickness decreased on average by 0.37 mm, (p = 0.002) in MS patients for each unit standard deviation change in white matter lesion volume. The odds of having a higher EDSS were associated with cortical lesion volume (1.78, p = 0.01) and disease duration (1.15, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Cortical thinning in MS is not directly related to cortical lesion load but rather with white matter lesion volume. Neurological disability in MS is better explained by cortical lesion volume assessment.

Characterization of thalamic lesions and their correlates in multiple sclerosis by ultra-high-field MRI.

BACKGROUND: Thalamic pathology is a marker for neurodegeneration and multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression. OBJECTIVE: To characterize (1) the morphology of thalamic lesions, (2) their relation to cortical and white matter (WM) lesions, and (3) clinical measures, and to assess (4) the imaging correlates of thalamic atrophy. METHODS: A total of 90 MS patients and 44 healthy controls underwent acquisition of 7 Tesla images for lesion segmentation and 3 Tesla scans for atrophy evaluation. Thalamic lesions were classified according to the shape and the presence of a central venule. Regression analysis identified the predictors of (1) thalamic atrophy, (2) neurological disability, and (3) information processing speed. RESULTS: Thalamic lesions were mostly ovoid than periventricular, and for the great majority (78%) displayed a central venule. Lesion volume in the thalamus, cortex, and WM did not correlate with each other. Thalamic atrophy was only associated with WM lesion volume (p = 0.002); subpial and WM lesion volumes were associated with neurological disability (p = 0.016; p < 0.001); and WM and thalamic lesion volumes were related with cognitive impairment (p < 0.001; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Thalamic lesions are unrelated to those in the cortex and WM, suggesting that they may not share common pathogenic mechanisms and do not contribute to thalamic atrophy. Combined WM, subpial, and thalamic lesion volumes at 7 Tesla contribute to the disease severity.

Association of Serum Neurofilament Light Levels With Long-term Brain Atrophy in Patients With a First Multiple Sclerosis Episode.

Importance: Data are needed on the potential long-term prognostic association of serum neurofilament light in multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: To evaluate serum neurofilament light as a biomarker associated with long-term disease outcomes in clinically isolated syndrome. Design, Setting, and Participants: This post hoc cohort study used data from the Controlled High-Risk Avonex Multiple Sclerosis Prevention Study, a 36-month, multicenter, placebo-controlled interferon ß-1a randomized clinical trial conducted from April 1996 to March 2000, and its long-term (5- and 10-year) extension study from February 2001 to March 2009. Participants included individuals with a symptomatic initial demyelinating event and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions suggestive of MS. Data were analyzed from April 2017 through 2019. Exposure: The variable of interest was naturally occurring serum neurofilament light concentration. Main Outcomes and Measures: Gadolinium-enhancing (Gd+) lesion number, T2 lesion volume, and brain parenchymal fraction, a measure of brain atrophy were measured at baseline and 5 and 10 years. Multivariate regression models evaluated whether age, sex, and baseline covariates, including serum neurofilament light, brain parenchymal fraction, Expanded Disability Status Scale, Gd+ lesion count, and T2 lesion volume, were associated with brain parenchymal fraction changes over 5 and 10 years. Results: Among 308 included participants (mean [SD] age, 33.2 [7.6] years; 234 [76.0%] women), baseline serum neurofilament light concentrations were associated with Gd+ lesions (Spearman r = 0.41; P < .001) and T2 lesion volume (Spearman r = 0.42; P < .001). Among covariates for brain parenchymal fraction change, serum neurofilament light concentration had the greatest correlation with change in brain parenchymal fraction at 5 years (Spearman r = -0.38; P < .001) and was the only variable associated with brain parenchymal fraction at 10 years (Spearman r = -0.45; P < .001). Participants in the highest vs lowest baseline serum neurofilament light tertiles showed brain parenchymal fraction reduction at 5 years (-1.83% [95% CI, -1.49% to -2.18%] vs -0.95% [95% CI, -0.78% to -1.12%]; P < .001) and 10 years (-3.54% [95% CI, -2.90% to -4.17%] vs -1.90% [95% CI, -1.43% to -2.37%]; P < .001). At 5 years, 6 of 45 participants (13.3%) in the highest neurofilament tertile and 2 of 52 participants (3.8%) in the lowest neurofilament tertile achieved an Expanded Disability Status Scale score of 3.5 or greater. Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that higher baseline serum neurofilament light levels were associated with increased brain atrophy over 5 and 10 years. These findings suggest that serum neurofilament light could be a biomarker associated with disease severity stratification in early MS and may help to guide intervention.

Outcomes and Cost-Effectiveness of Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplant for Multiple Sclerosis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review presents a critical appraisal of the use of autologous hematopoietic cell transplant (AHCT) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. We present the reader with a brief review on the AHCT procedure, its immunomodulatory mechanism of action in MS, the most recent evidence in support of its use in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), as well as its cost considerations. RECENT FINDINGS: The first meta-analysis of clinical trials of AHCT for patients with MS demonstrated durable 5-year progression-free survival rates and low treatment-related mortality. Recently, the first randomized controlled phase III clinical trial demonstrated AHCT to be superior to best available therapy for a subset of patients with RRMS. This led to the American society for transplant and cellular therapies (ASTCT) to recommend AHCT "for patients with relapsing forms of MS who have prognostic factors that indicate a high risk of future disability." AHCT should be considered for patients with RRMS with evidence of clinical activity who have failed 2 lines of therapy or at least one highly active disease-modifying therapy.

Post-natalizumab disease reactivation in multiple sclerosis: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Natalizumab (NTZ) is sometimes discontinued in patients with multiple sclerosis, mainly due to concerns about the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. However, NTZ interruption may result in recrudescence of disease activity. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to summarize the available evidence about NTZ discontinuation and to identify which patients will experience post-NTZ disease reactivation through meta-analysis of existing literature data. METHODS: PubMed was searched for articles reporting the effects of NTZ withdrawal in adult patients (⩾18 years) with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Definition of disease activity following NTZ discontinuation, proportion of patients who experienced post-NTZ disease reactivation, and timing to NTZ discontinuation to disease reactivation were systematically reviewed. A generic inverse variance with random effect was used to calculate the weighted effect of patients' clinical characteristics on the risk of post-NTZ disease reactivation, defined as the occurrence of at least one relapse. RESULTS: The original search identified 205 publications. Thirty-five articles were included in the systematic review. We found a high level of heterogeneity across studies in terms of sample size (10 to 1866 patients), baseline patient characteristics, follow up (1-24 months), outcome measures (clinical and/or radiological), and definition of post-NTZ disease reactivation or rebound. Clinical relapses were observed in 9-80% of patients and peaked at 4-7 months, whereas radiological disease activity was observed in 7-87% of patients starting at 6 weeks following NTZ discontinuation. The meta-analysis of six articles, yielding a total of 1183 patients, revealed that younger age, higher number of relapses and gadolinium-enhanced lesions before treatment start, and fewer NTZ infusions were associated with increased risk for post-NTZ disease reactivation (p ⩽ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results from the present review and meta-analysis can help to profile patients who are at greater risk of post-NTZ disease reactivation. However, potential reporting bias and variability in selected studies should be taken into account when interpreting our data.

Longitudinal Characterization of Cortical Lesion Development and Evolution in Multiple Sclerosis with 7.0-T MRI.

Background Cortical lesions develop early in multiple sclerosis (MS) and play a major role in disease progression. MRI at 7.0 T shows high sensitivity for detection of cortical lesions as well as better spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio compared with lower field strengths. Purpose To longitudinally characterize (a) the development and evolution of cortical lesions in multiple sclerosis across the cortical width, sulci, and gyri; (b) their relation with white matter lesion accrual; and (c) the contribution of 7.0-T cortical and white matter lesion load and cortical thickness to neurologic disability. Materials and Methods Twenty participants with relapsing-remitting MS and 13 with secondary progressive MS, along with 10 age-matched healthy controls, were prospectively recruited from 2010 to 2016 to acquire, in two imaging sessions (mean interval, 1.5 years), 7.0-T MRI T2*-weighted gradient-echo images (0.33 × 0.33 × 1.0 mm3) for cortical and white matter lesion segmentation and 3.0-T T1-weighted images for cortical surface reconstruction and cortical thickness estimation. Cortical lesions were sampled through the cortex to quantify cortical lesion distribution. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was used to assess neurologic disability. Nonparametric statistics assessed differences between and within groups in MRI metrics of cortical and white matter lesion burden; regression analysis explored associations of disability with MRI metrics. Results Twenty-five of 31 (81%) participants developed new cortical lesions per year (intracortical, 1.3 ± 1.7 vs leukocortical, 0.7 ± 1.9; P = .04), surpassing white matter lesion accrual (cortical, 2.0 ± 2.8 vs white matter, 0.7 ± 0.6; P = .01). In contrast to white matter lesions, cortical lesion accrual was greater in participants with secondary progressive MS than with relapsing-remitting MS (3.6 lesions/year ± 4.2 vs 1.1 lesions/year ± 0.9, respectively; P = .03) and preferentially localized in sulci. Total cortical lesion volume independently predicted baseline EDSS (ß = 1.5, P < .001) and EDSS changes at follow-up (ß = 0.5, P = .003). Conclusion Cortical lesions predominantly develop intracortically and within sulci, suggesting an inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid-mediated lesion pathogenesis. Cortical lesion accumulation was prominent at 7.0 T and independently predicted neurologic disability progression. © RSNA, 2019 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Filippi and Rocca in this issue.

Heterogeneous pathological processes account for thalamic degeneration in multiple sclerosis: Insights from 7 T imaging.

BACKGROUND: Thalamic degeneration impacts multiple sclerosis (MS) prognosis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate heterogeneous thalamic pathology, its correlation with white matter (WM), cortical lesions and thickness, and as function of distance from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). METHODS: In 41 MS subjects and 17 controls, using 3 and 7 T imaging, we tested for (1) differences in thalamic volume and quantitative T2* (q-T2*) (2) globally and (3) within concentric bands originating from the CSF/thalamus interface; (4) the relation between thalamic, cortical, and WM metrics; and (5) the contribution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metrics to clinical scores. We also assessed MS thalamic lesion distribution as a function of distance from CSF. RESULTS: Thalamic lesions were mainly located next to the ventricles. Thalamic volume was decreased in MS versus controls ( p < 10-2); global q-T2* was longer in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) only ( p < 10-2), indicating myelin and/or iron loss. Thalamic atrophy and longer q-T2* correlated with WM lesion volume ( p < 0.01). In relapsing-remitting MS, q-T2* thalamic abnormalities were located next to the WM ( p < 0.01 (uncorrected), p = 0.09 (corrected)), while they were homogeneously distributed in SPMS. Cortical MRI metrics were the strongest predictors of clinical outcome. CONCLUSION: Heterogeneous pathological processes affect the thalamus in MS. While focal lesions are likely mainly driven by CSF-mediated factors, overall thalamic degeneration develops in association with WM lesions.

The association between intra- and juxta-cortical pathology and cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis by quantitative T2* mapping at 7 T MRI.

Using quantitative T2* at 7 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated whether impairment in selective cognitive functions in multiple sclerosis (MS) can be explained by pathology in specific areas and/or layers of the cortex. Thirty-one MS patients underwent neuropsychological evaluation, acquisition of 7 T multi-echo T2* gradient-echo sequences, and 3 T anatomical images for cortical surfaces reconstruction. Seventeen age-matched healthy subjects served as controls. Cortical T2* maps were sampled at various depths throughout the cortex and juxtacortex. Relation between T2*, neuropsychological scores and a cognitive index (CI), calculated from a principal component analysis on the whole battery, was tested by a general linear model. Cognitive impairment correlated with T2* increase, independently from white matter lesions and cortical thickness, in cortical areas highly relevant for cognition belonging to the default-mode network (p < 0.05 corrected). Dysfunction in different cognitive functions correlated with longer T2* in selective cortical regions, most of which showed longer T2* relative to controls. For most tests, this association was strongest in deeper cortical layers. Executive dysfunction, however, was mainly related with pathology in juxtameningeal cortex. T2* explained up to 20% of the variance of the CI, independently of conventional imaging metrics (adjusted-R2: 52-67%, p < 5.10- 4). Location of pathology across the cortical width and mantle showed selective correlation with impairment in differing cognitive domains. These findings may guide studies at lower field strength designed to develop surrogate markers of cognitive impairment in MS.

Neuroinflammatory component of gray matter pathology in multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: In multiple sclerosis (MS), using simultaneous magnetic resonance-positron emission tomography (MR-PET) imaging with 11 C-PBR28, we quantified expression of the 18kDa translocator protein (TSPO), a marker of activated microglia/macrophages, in cortex, cortical lesions, deep gray matter (GM), white matter (WM) lesions, and normal-appearing WM (NAWM) to investigate the in vivo pathological and clinical relevance of neuroinflammation. METHODS: Fifteen secondary-progressive MS (SPMS) patients, 12 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients, and 14 matched healthy controls underwent 11 C-PBR28 MR-PET. MS subjects underwent 7T T2*-weighted imaging for cortical lesion segmentation, and neurological and cognitive evaluation. 11 C-PBR28 binding was measured using normalized 60- to 90-minute standardized uptake values and volume of distribution ratios. RESULTS: Relative to controls, MS subjects exhibited abnormally high 11 C-PBR28 binding across the brain, the greatest increases being in cortex and cortical lesions, thalamus, hippocampus, and NAWM. MS WM lesions showed relatively modest TSPO increases. With the exception of cortical lesions, where TSPO expression was similar, 11 C-PBR28 uptake across the brain was greater in SPMS than in RRMS. In MS, increased 11 C-PBR28 binding in cortex, deep GM, and NAWM correlated with neurological disability and impaired cognitive performance; cortical thinning correlated with increased thalamic TSPO levels. INTERPRETATION: In MS, neuroinflammation is present in the cortex, cortical lesions, deep GM, and NAWM, is closely linked to poor clinical outcome, and is at least partly linked to neurodegeneration. Distinct inflammatory-mediated factors may underlie accumulation of cortical and WM lesions. Quantification of TSPO levels in MS could prove to be a sensitive tool for evaluating in vivo the inflammatory component of GM pathology, particularly in cortical lesions. Ann Neurol 2016;80:776-790.

Is the Relationship between Cortical and White Matter Pathologic Changes in Multiple Sclerosis Spatially Specific? A Multimodal 7-T and 3-T MR Imaging Study with Surface and Tract-based Analysis.

PURPOSE: To investigate in vivo the spatial specificity of the interdependence between intracortical and white matter (WM) pathologic changes as function of cortical depth and distance from the cortex in multiple sclerosis (MS), and their independent contribution to physical and cognitive disability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was institutional review board-approved and participants gave written informed consent. In 34 MS patients and 17 age-matched control participants, 7-T quantitative T2* maps, 3-T T1-weighted anatomic images for cortical surface reconstruction, and 3-T diffusion tensor images (DTI) were obtained. Cortical quantitative T2* maps were sampled at 25%, 50%, 75% depth from pial surface. Tracts of interest were reconstructed by using probabilistic tractography. The relationship between DTI metrics voxelwise of the tracts and cortical integrity in the projection cortex was tested by using multilinear regression models. RESULTS: In MS, DTI abnormal findings along tracts correlated with quantitative T2* changes (suggestive of iron and myelin loss) at each depth of the cortical projection area (P < .01, corrected). This association, however, was not spatially specific because abnormal findings in WM tracts also related to cortical pathologic changes outside of the projection cortex of the tract (P < .001). Expanded Disability Status Scale pyramidal score was predicted by axial diffusivity along the corticospinal tract (ß = 4.6 × 10(3); P < .001), Symbol Digit Modalities Test score by radial diffusivity along the cingulum (ß = -4.3 × 10(4); P < .01), and T2* in the cingulum cortical projection at 25% depth (ß = -1.7; P < .05). CONCLUSION: Intracortical and WM injury are concomitant pathologic processes in MS, which are not uniquely distributed according to a tract-cortex-specific pattern; their association may reflect a common stage-dependent mechanism.

Beyond focal cortical lesions in MS: An in vivo quantitative and spatial imaging study at 7T.

OBJECTIVES: Using quantitative T2* 7-tesla (7T) MRI as a marker of demyelination and iron loss, we investigated, in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), spatial and tissue intrinsic characteristics of cortical lesion(s) (CL) types, and structural integrity of perilesional normal-appearing cortical gray matter (NACGM) as a function of distance from lesions. METHODS: Patients with MS (18 RRMS, 11 SPMS), showing at least 2 CL, underwent 7T T2* imaging to obtain (1) magnitude images for segmenting focal intracortical lesion(s) (ICL) and leukocortical lesion(s) (LCL), and (2) cortical T2* maps. Anatomical scans were collected at 3T for cortical surface reconstruction using FreeSurfer. Seventeen age-matched healthy participants served as controls. RESULTS: ICL were predominantly located in sulci of frontal, parietal, and cingulate cortex; LCL distribution was more random. In MS, T2* was higher in both ICL and LCL, indicating myelin and iron loss, than in NACGM (p < 0.00003) irrespective of CL subtype and MS phenotype. T2* was increased in perilesional cortex, tapering away from CL toward NACGM, the wider changes being for LCL in SPMS. NACGM T2* was higher in SPMS relative to RRMS (p = 0.006) and healthy cortex (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: CL had the same degree of demyelination and iron loss regardless of lesion subtype and disease stage. Cortical damage expanded beyond visible CL, close to lesions in RRMS, and more diffusely in SPMS. Evaluation of NACGM integrity, beyond focal CL, could represent a surrogate marker of MS progression.

A gradient in cortical pathology in multiple sclerosis by in vivo quantitative 7 T imaging.

We used a surface-based analysis of T2* relaxation rates at 7 T magnetic resonance imaging, which allows sampling quantitative T2* throughout the cortical width, to map in vivo the spatial distribution of intracortical pathology in multiple sclerosis. Ultra-high resolution quantitative T2* maps were obtained in 10 subjects with clinically isolated syndrome/early multiple sclerosis (≤ 3 years disease duration), 18 subjects with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (≥ 4 years disease duration), 13 subjects with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, and in 17 age-matched healthy controls. Quantitative T2* maps were registered to anatomical cortical surfaces for sampling T2* at 25%, 50% and 75% depth from the pial surface. Differences in laminar quantitative T2* between each patient group and controls were assessed using general linear model (P < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons). In all 41 multiple sclerosis cases, we tested for associations between laminar quantitative T2*, neurological disability, Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score, cortical thickness, and white matter lesions. In patients, we measured, T2* in intracortical lesions and in the intracortical portion of leukocortical lesions visually detected on 7 T scans. Cortical lesional T2* was compared with patients' normal-appearing cortical grey matter T2* (paired t-test) and with mean cortical T2* in controls (linear regression using age as nuisance factor). Subjects with multiple sclerosis exhibited relative to controls, independent from cortical thickness, significantly increased T2*, consistent with cortical myelin and iron loss. In early disease, T2* changes were focal and mainly confined at 25% depth, and in cortical sulci. In later disease stages T2* changes involved deeper cortical laminae, multiple cortical areas and gyri. In patients, T2* in intracortical and leukocortical lesions was increased compared with normal-appearing cortical grey matter (P < 10(-10) and P < 10(-7)), and mean cortical T2* in controls (P < 10(-5) and P < 10(-6)). In secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, T2* in normal-appearing cortical grey matter was significantly increased relative to controls (P < 0.001). Laminar T2* changes may, thus, result from cortical pathology within and outside focal cortical lesions. Neurological disability and Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score correlated each with the degree of laminar quantitative T2* changes, independently from white matter lesions, the greatest association being at 25% depth, while they did not correlate with cortical thickness and volume. These findings demonstrate a gradient in the expression of cortical pathology throughout stages of multiple sclerosis, which was associated with worse disability and provides in vivo evidence for the existence of a cortical pathological process driven from the pial surface.

Contribution of cortical lesion subtypes at 7T MRI to physical and cognitive performance in MS.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate cross-sectionally the contribution of focal cortical lesion (CL) subtypes at ultra-high-field MRI and traditional MRI metrics of brain damage to neurologic disability and cognitive performance in a heterogeneous multiple sclerosis (MS) cohort. METHODS: Thirty-four patients with early or established disease including clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting MS, and secondary progressive MS were scanned on a human 7-tesla (7T) (Siemens) scanner to acquire fast low-angle shot (FLASH) T2*-weighted images for characterization of white matter and deep gray matter lesion volume, and CL types. Patients also underwent anatomical 3T MRI for cortical thickness estimation, and neuropsychological testing within 1 week of the 7T scan. Twenty-seven patient scans were acceptable for further analysis. Neurologic disability was measured using the Expanded Disability Status Scale. RESULTS: Type III-IV CLs had the strongest relationship to physical disability (ρ = 0.670, p < 0.0001). White matter lesion volume and type I CLs are each significantly associated with 6 of 11 neuropsychological test variables. Type III-IV CLs significantly correlate with 4 of 11 neuropsychological test variables whereas type II CLs, deep gray matter lesion volume, and cortical thickness metrics are less frequently associated with cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS: Leukocortical (type I) and subpial (III-IV) CLs identified on 7T FLASH-T2* sequences are potential cortical biomarkers of cognitive and neurologic status in MS.