Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35274413›Full record

Trial reportEuropean journal of neurology2022

Evolution from a first clinical demyelinating event to multiple sclerosis in the REFLEX trial: Regional susceptibility in the conversion to multiple sclerosis at disease onset and its amenability to subcutaneous interferon beta-1a.

Marco Battaglini, Hugo Vrenken, Riccardo Tappa Brocci, Giordano Gentile, Ludovico Luchetti, Adriaan Versteeg, Mark S Freedman, Bernard M J Uitdehaag, Ludwig Kappos, Giancarlo Comi and 5 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in European journal of neurology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT00404352 (A Phase III, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter Clinical Trial of Rebif New Formulation), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT00404352 phase3completednot on this map

A Phase III, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter Clinical Trial of Rebif New Formulation (44 Microgram [Mcg] Three Times Weekly [Tiw] and 44 Mcg Once Weekly [ow]) in Subjects at High Risk of Converting to Multiple Sclerosis (REFLEX)

TypeinterventionalSponsorMerck KGaA, Darmstadt, GermanyRan2006 to 2011Enrolled517ConditionsMultiple SclerosisArmsRNF, Placebo
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors at 9 institutions in 6 countries.

Marco BattagliniDepartment of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9188-4408
Hugo VrenkenDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Riccardo Tappa BrocciDepartment of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Giordano GentileDepartment of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8481-2801
Ludovico LuchettiDepartment of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Adriaan VersteegDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Mark S FreedmanDepartment of Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Bernard M J UitdehaagDepartment of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Ludwig KapposResearch Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience Basel (RC2NB) and Neurology, Departments of Head, Spine and Neuromedicine, Biomedical Engineering and Clinical Research, University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Giancarlo ComiCasa di Cura Privata del Policlinico, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6989-1054
Andrea SeitzingerGlobal Biostatistics, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8088-9695
Dominic JackGlobal Medical Affairs, Merck Serono Ltd (an affiliate of Merck KGaA), Feltham, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8629-553X
Maria Pia SormaniDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
Frederik BarkhofDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-3543-3706
Nicola De StefanoDepartment of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
University of Siena · ITAmsterdam University Medical Centers · NLAmsterdam Neuroscience · NLMerck (Germany) · DEMerck (United Kingdom) · GBUniversity of Basel · CHUniversity of Genoa · ITUniversity of Ottawa · CAVita-Salute San Raffaele University · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeIn the REFLEX trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00404352), patients with a first clinical demyelinating event (FCDE) displayed significantly delayed onset of multiple sclerosis (MS; McDonald criteria) when treated with subcutaneous interferon beta-1a (sc IFN β-1a) versus placebo. This post hoc analysis evaluated the effect of sc IFN β-1a on spatio-temporal evolution of disease activity, assessed by changes in T2 lesion distribution, in specific brain regions of such patients and its relationship with conversion to MS.

methodsPost hoc analysis of baseline and 24-month magnetic resonance imaging data from FCDE patients who received sc IFN β-1a 44 μg once or three times weekly, or placebo in the REFLEX trial. Patients were grouped according to McDonald MS status (converter/non-converter) or treatment (sc IFN β-1a/placebo). For each patient group, a baseline lesion probability map (LPM) and longitudinal new/enlarging and shrinking/disappearing LPMs were created. Lesion location/frequency of lesion occurrence were assessed in the white matter.

resultsAt Month 24, lesion frequency was significantly higher in the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) and corticospinal tract (CST) of converters versus non-converters (p < 0.05). Additionally, the overall distribution of new/enlarging lesions across the brain at Month 24 was similar in placebo- and sc IFN β-1a-treated patients (ratio: 0.95). Patients treated with sc IFN β-1a versus placebo showed significantly lower new lesion frequency in specific brain regions (cluster corrected): ATR (p = 0.025), superior longitudinal fasciculus (p = 0.042), CST (p = 0.048), and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (p = 0.048).

conclusionsT2 lesion distribution in specific brain locations predict conversion to McDonald MS and show significantly reduced new lesion occurrence after treatment with sc IFN β-1a in an FCDE population.

Indexed as

Multiple SclerosisMultiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-RemittingHumansInterferon beta-1aMagnetic Resonance ImagingReflexTreatment OutcomeInterferon beta-1afirst clinical demyelinating eventinterferon-betalesionswhite matter tracts

Identifiers

PMID35274413
PMCPMC9321632
OpenAlexW4220985884

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.