MS in self-identified Hispanic/Latino individuals living in the US

Early use of high-efficacy therapies in multiple sclerosis in the United States: benefits, barriers, and strategies for encouraging adoption

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by progressive neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration from disease onset that, if left untreated, can result in the accumulation of irreversible neurological disability. Early intervention with high-efficacy therapies (HETs) is increasingly recognized as the best strategy to delay or mitigate disease progression from the earliest stages of the disease and to prevent long-term neurodegeneration. Although there is growing clinical and real-world evidence supporting early HET intervention, foregoing this strategy in favor of a traditional escalation approach prioritizing lower-efficacy disease-modifying therapies remains a common approach in clinical practice. This review explores potential health care professional- and patient-related barriers to the early use of HETs in patients with MS in the United States. Barriers can include regulatory and reimbursement restrictions; knowledge gaps and long-term safety concerns among health care professionals; and various individual, cultural, and societal factors affecting patients. Potential strategies for overcoming these barriers and encouraging early HET use are proposed.

Insights for Healthcare Providers on Shared Decision-Making in Multiple Sclerosis: A Narrative Review

Shared decision-making (SDM) between the patient and their healthcare provider (HCP) in developing treatment plans is increasingly recognized as central to improving treatment adherence and, ultimately, patient outcomes. In multiple sclerosis (MS), SDM is particularly crucial for optimizing treatment in a landscape that has grown more complex with the availability of newer, high-efficacy MS therapies. However, little direct evidence on the effectiveness of SDM is available to guide practice. Multiple factors, including patient age, ethnic background, perceptions, invisible MS symptoms, and psychological comorbidities can influence a patient's willingness and ability to participate in SDM. HCPs need to appreciate these factors and ask the right questions to break down obstacles to SDM. The HCP has a responsibility to help patients feel adequately informed and comfortable in having an active role in their care. This review identifies potential barriers to SDM and provides a strategy for HCPs to overcome these obstacles through patient (and caregiver) discussions to ensure optimal patient satisfaction with treatment and thus the best possible outcomes for their patients.

Inclusion of optic neuritis in dissemination in space improves the performance of McDonald 2017 criteria in Hispanic people with suspected multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Hispanic people compared to White people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are two times more likely to present with optic neuritis (ON). ON in dissemination in space (DIS) after a single attack is not part of the current McDonald 2017 criteria.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate if adding ON in DIS (ON-modified criteria) improves the performance of the McDonald 2017 criteria in the diagnosis of MS after a single attack of ON.

METHODS

Retrospective study of 102 patients of Hispanic background. Cases were reviewed between 2017 and 2021. Clinical ON was reported for 35 cases. ON in DIS was verified for 28 patients via MRI, optical coherence tomography, and/or visual evoked potential. We investigated the performance of the McDonald 2017 criteria and ON-modified criteria and calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy.

RESULTS

The ON-modified criteria significantly improved the performance of the McDonald 2017 criteria (p = 0.003) and identified an additional nine patients. Both sensitivity and accuracy increased from 64% to 74% and 62% to 71%, respectively, while specificity remained unchanged (40% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.10, 0.70)).

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence that the inclusion of ON in DIS improved the overall performance of the McDonald 2017 criteria among Hispanic people.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Multiple Sclerosis Community: A Call to Action

Many medical organizations have begun to confront the longstanding problem of inequalities in health care delivery and the undeniable effect of disparities on health outcomes. The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) recognizes that disparities affect the lives of many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and acknowledges the need to address this as an organization. The CMSC recently (1) appointed a task force, (2) conducted a survey of its membership, (3) commissioned this review article and call to action, and (4) formulated a mission statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which was adopted by the CMSC's Board of Governors in March 2023. This paper summarizes recent literature on health care disparities in MS, particularly those relating to race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. It presents findings from CMSC's survey of members' awareness of DEI issues, the need for education and resources for MS care providers, and existing institutional policies on DEI in the members' practice settings. It also presents the task force's recommendations for next steps, which includes the goal of greater diversity in the MS workforce of the future. The CMSC will continue to revisit DEI policies and practices over time with the goal of motivating greater awareness, momentum, and positive changes within the MS community.

Genomic, proteomic, and systems biology approaches in biomarker discovery for multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disorder characterized by autoimmune-mediated inflammatory lesions in CNS leading to myelin damage and axonal loss. MS is a heterogenous disease with variable and unpredictable disease course. Due to its complex nature, MS is difficult to diagnose and responses to specific treatments may vary between individuals. Therefore, there is an indisputable need for biomarkers for early diagnosis, prediction of disease exacerbations, monitoring the progression of disease, and for measuring responses to therapy. Genomic and proteomic studies have sought to understand the molecular basis of MS and find biomarker candidates. Advances in next-generation sequencing and mass-spectrometry techniques have yielded an unprecedented amount of genomic and proteomic data; yet, translation of the results into the clinic has been underwhelming. This has prompted the development of novel data science techniques for exploring these large datasets to identify biologically relevant relationships and ultimately point towards useful biomarkers. Herein we discuss optimization of omics study designs, advances in the generation of omics data, and systems biology approaches aimed at improving biomarker discovery and translation to the clinic for MS.

The genetic diversity of multiple sclerosis risk among Hispanic and African American populations living in the United States

BACKGROUND

Substantial progress has been made toward unraveling the genetic architecture of multiple sclerosis (MS) within populations of European ancestry, but few genetic studies have focused on Hispanic and African American populations within the United States.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to test the relevance of common European MS risk variants outside of the major histocompatibility complex (n = 200) within these populations.

METHODS

Genotype data were available on 2652 Hispanics (1298 with MS, 1354 controls) and 2435 African Americans (1298 with MS, 1137 controls). We conducted single variant, pathway, and cumulative genetic risk score analyses.

RESULTS

We found less replication than statistical power suggested, particularly among African Americans. This could be due to limited correlation between the tested and causal variants within the sample or alternatively could indicate allelic and locus heterogeneity. Differences were observed between pathways enriched among the replicating versus all 200 variants. Although these differences should be examined in larger samples, a potential role exists for gene-environment or gene-gene interactions which alter phenotype differentially across racial and ethnic groups. Cumulative genetic risk scores were associated with MS within each study sample but showed limited diagnostic capability.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide a framework for fine-mapping efforts in multi-ethnic populations of MS.

Assessment of Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Volumetric MRI Correlates of Clinical Disability in Multiple Sclerosis: A Preliminary Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Although global and regional brain volume has been established as a relevant measure to define and predict multiple sclerosis (MS) severity, characterization of specific trends by race/ethnicity is currently lacking. We aim to (1) characterize racial disparities in disability-specific patterns of brain MRI volumetric measures between Hispanic and Caucasian individuals with MS and (2) explore the relevance of these measures as predictors of clinical disability progression.

METHODS

Brain MRI scans from 94 Hispanic and 94 age- and gender-matched Caucasian MS patients were analyzed using automatic and manual segmentation techniques. Select global and regional volume measures were correlated to Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores at baseline and subsequent follow-up visits.

RESULTS

Hispanic patients had a higher baseline median EDSS score (interquartile range [IQR], 2.0; [1.0-3.5]) compared to Caucasians (median [IQR], 1.0 [.0-2.0]) and an increased risk of requiring ambulatory assistance (hazard ratio [HR], 9.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.8-32.5). Normalized thalamic volume was moderately associated with EDSS scores (r_s   = -.42,  P < .001 in Hispanics; r_s   = -.32, P  = .002 in Caucasians) and was the best predictor of sustained disability worsening in both racial groups in a time-to-event analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The confounding impact of race on quantitative brain volume measures may affect the interpretation of outcome measures in MS clinical trials.

Generalized Pharmacometric Modeling, a Novel Paradigm for Integrating Machine Learning Algorithms: A Case Study of Metabolomic Biomarkers

There is an unmet need for identifying innovative machine learning (ML) strategies to improve drug treatment regimens and therapeutic outcomes. We investigate Generalized Pharmacometric Modeling (GPM), a novel paradigm that integrates ML algorithms with pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic structural models, population covariate modeling, and "big data," and enables identification of patient-specific factors contributing to drug disposition. We hypothesize that GPM will enhance forecasting of drug outcomes in diverse populations. We assessed random forest regression in conjunction with Bayesian networks as the ML methods within GPM and used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey population-based study database. GPM was utilized to identify subject-specific factors associated with cholesterol dynamics. Our results demonstrate the utility of GPM to enhance pharmacometrics modeling and its potential for modeling drug outcomes in diverse populations.

Race and ethnicity on MS presentation and disease course

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a strong racial and ethnic component and disproportionately affects whites of European background. Recent incidence reports suggest an increasing rate of MS among African Americans compared with whites. Despite this recent increase in MS in African Americans, Hispanics and Asians are significantly less likely to develop MS than whites of European ancestry. MS-specific mortality trends demonstrate distinctive disparities by race/ethnicity and age, suggesting that there is an unequal burden of disease. Inequalities in health along with differences in clinical characteristics that may be genetic, environmental, and social in origin may be contributing to disease variability and be suggestive of endophenotypes. The overarching goal of this review was to summarize the current understanding on the variability of disease that we observe in selected racial and ethnic populations: Hispanics and African Americans. Future challenges will be to unravel the genetic, environmental, and social determinants of the observed racial/ethnic disparities.