CD62L test at 2 years of natalizumab predicts progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

Serum Neurofilament Levels and PML Risk in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis Treated With Natalizumab

Objectives

The study aimed to assess the potential for serum neurofilament light chain (NFL) levels to predict the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in natalizumab (NTZ)-treated patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and to discriminate PML from MS relapses.

Methods

NFL levels were measured with single molecule array (Simoa) in 4 cohorts: (1) a prospective cohort of patients with MS who developed PML under NTZ therapy (pre-PML) and non-PML NTZ-treated patients (NTZ-ctr); (2) a cohort of patients whose blood was collected during PML; (3) an independent cohort of non-PML NTZ-treated patients with serum NFL determinations at 2 years (replication cohort); and (4) a cohort of patients whose blood was collected during exacerbations.

Results

Serum NFL levels were significantly increased after 2 years of NTZ treatment in pre-PML patients compared with NTZ-ctr. The prognostic performance of serum NFL levels to predict PML development at 2 years was similar in the NTZ-ctr group and replication cohort. Serum NFL levels also distinguished PML from MS relapses and were 8-fold higher during PML compared with relapses.

Conclusions

These results support the use of serum NFL levels in clinical practice to identify patients with relapsing-remitting MS at higher PML risk and to differentiate PML from clinical relapses in NTZ-treated patients.

Classification of Evidence

This study provides Class I evidence that serum NFL levels can identify NTZ-treated patients with MS who will develop PML with a sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 80%.

High effector-memory CD8+ T-cell levels correlate with high PML risk in natalizumab-treated patients

BACKGROUND

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a severe complication of natalizumab (NTZ) treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Based on the analysis of cryopreserved cells, several reports have showed that CD62L+ CD4+ T-cells percentage drops before PML onset.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze CD62L and CD45RA expression on fresh-blood CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells from NTZ-treated patients, according to their estimated PML risk.

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled 74 MS patients, including 62 NTZ-treated, and stratified them into low, intermediate and high PML risk groups. Circulating naïve and memory T-cell subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

We found no correlation between the percentage of CD62L+ CD4+ T-cells and PML risk. In contrast, the repartition of CD8+ T-cells subpopulations was altered in the high risk group: both the percentage and absolute count of CD8+ CD62L- CD45RA- effector memory T- cells (T_EM) was significantly higher compared to patients at lower risk despite similar CD3+ and CD8+ T-cell counts. One high-risk patient with elevated CD8+ T_EM and CD62L+ CD4+ T-cell levels developed PML six months after sampling.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that CD8+ T_EM cells should be evaluated in larger studies as a potential surrogate marker of PML risk in NTZ-treated patients.

Reaching an evidence-based prognosis for personalized treatment of multiple sclerosis

Personalized treatment is ideal for multiple sclerosis (MS) owing to the heterogeneity of clinical features, but current knowledge gaps, including validation of biomarkers and treatment algorithms, limit practical implementation. The contemporary approach to personalized MS therapy depends on evidence-based prognostication, an initial treatment choice and evaluation of early treatment responses to identify the need to switch therapy. Prognostication is directed by baseline clinical, environmental and demographic factors, MRI measures and biomarkers that correlate with long-term disability measures. The initial treatment choice should be a shared decision between the patient and physician. In addition to prognosis, this choice must account for patient-related factors, including comorbidities, pregnancy planning, preferences of the patients and their comfort with risk, and drug-related factors, including safety, cost and implications for treatment sequencing. Treatment response has traditionally been assessed on the basis of relapse rate, MRI lesions and disability progression. Larger longitudinal data sets have enabled development of composite outcome measures and more stringent standards for disease control. Biomarkers, including neurofilament light chain, have potential as early surrogate markers of prognosis and treatment response but require further validation. Overall, attainment of personalized treatment for MS is complex but will be refined as new data become available.

Advances in preventing adverse events during monoclonal antibody management of multiple sclerosis

INTRODUCTION

Decades of pharmacological research in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) led to the development of therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies (MAbs) with many different mechanisms of action (MoA), potentially able to improve disability outcome but also determining a more complex management of patients. Areas covered: When clinicians select MS treatments, they should consider adverse events (AEs) on individual basis to minimize patients' risks. Some AEs are common and can be easily handled, but rare complications should also be taken into account. The aim of this review is to summarize existing evidence and provide practical recommendations for the management of therapeutic MAbs in MS. Expert opinion: The introduction of MAbs revolutionized MS treatment with an improvement in effectiveness. Unfortunately, this has been coupled with a more complex array of AEs needing a tighter surveillance strategy. A close interaction between general practitioners, neurologists, and other specialists is the key for a safer use of such effective drugs.

Risks and risk management in modern multiple sclerosis immunotherapeutic treatment

In recent years, there has been a paradigm shift in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) owing to the approval of a number of new drugs with very distinct mechanisms of action. All approved disease-modifying drugs primarily work directly on the immune system. However, the identification of an ‘optimal choice’ for individual patients with regard to treatment efficacy, treatment adherence and side-effect profile has become increasingly complex including conceptual as well as practical considerations. Similarly, there are peculiarities and specific requirements with regard to treatment monitoring, especially in relation to immunosuppression, the development of secondary immune-related complications, as well as the existence of drug-specific on- and off-target effects. Both classical immunosuppression and selective immune interventions generate a spectrum of potential therapy-related complications. This article provides a comprehensive overview of available immunotherapeutics for MS and their risks, detailing individual mechanisms of action and side-effect profiles. Furthermore, practical recommendations for patients treated with modern MS immunotherapeutics are provided.

Serum neurofilaments increase at progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy onset in natalizumab-treated multiple sclerosis patients

This study analyzed serum neurofilament light chains (NfL) in 2 European cohorts of 312 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to investigate whether NfL are biomarkers of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) during natalizumab treatment. The cohort comprised 25 PML, 136 natalizumab-treated, and 151 untreated MS patients. Patients subsequently developing PML had similar NfL to other natalizumab-treated MS patients. At PML onset, NfL were 10-fold higher than in the pre-PML condition and in natalizumab-treated or untreated MS patients, and NfL continued to increase until onset of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. The results suggest that in natalizumab-treated patients, NfL may represent an early and accessible marker of PML. Ann Neurol 2019;85:606-610.

The effect of disease modifying therapies on CD62L expression in multiple sclerosis

Background

The increasing armamentarium of disease-modifying therapies in multiple sclerosis is accompanied by potentially severe adverse effects. The cell-adhesion molecule CD62L, which facilitates leukocyte extravasation, has been proposed as a predictive marker for treatment tolerability. However, pre-analytical procedures might impact test results, thereby limiting its clinical usability. Whether the immediate analysis of CD62L expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells can aid treatment decision making is yet unclear.

Objective

To investigate the effect of various disease-modifying therapies in multiple sclerosis on CD62L expression of CD3⁺CD4⁺ peripheral blood mononuclear cells in freshly collected blood samples.

Methods

We collected peripheral blood samples from patients with clinically isolated syndrome and multiple sclerosis (baseline/follow up n = 234/n = 98) and healthy controls (n = 51). CD62L⁺CD3⁺CD4⁺ expression was analysed within 1 hour by fluorescence-activated cell sorting.

Results

CD62L⁺CD3⁺CD4⁺ expression was significantly decreased in patients treated with natalizumab (n = 26) and fingolimod (n = 20) and increased with dimethyl-fumarate (n = 15) compared to patients receiving interferon/glatiramer acetate (n = 90/30) or no disease-modifying therapies (n = 53) and controls (n = 51) (p<0.001). CD62L expression showed temporal stability during unchanged disease-modifying therapy usage, but increased after natalizumab withdrawal and decreased upon fingolimod introduction.

Conclusion

CD62L⁺CD3⁺CD4⁺ expression is altered in patients treated with different disease-modifying therapies when measured in freshly collected samples. The clinical meaning of CD62L changes under disease-modifying therapies warrants further investigation.

How much progress has there been in the second-line treatment of multiple sclerosis: A 2017 update

In 1993, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug specifically for treating multiple sclerosis (MS). More than two decades later, a dozen such treatments are now available. Of these, four are considered second-line treatments for use in escalation strategies and two new drugs are currently undergoing accreditation procedures. Soon, they will provide clinicians with a range of six effective disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) to thwart the inflammatory processes in MS patients with active disease. However, while such a large number of DMTs for MS can help to control early inflammation, any decisions to be made by clinicians have also been made substantially more complex. This complexity is increased by the lack of head-to-head studies comparing these second-line therapies and the benefit-risk profiles for each of these drugs, which are likely to vary among patients. Ultimately, good awareness of the benefits and, more important, the risks of each MS DMT is crucial for the effective management of inflammation in MS.

The role of natalizumab in the treatment of multiple sclerosis: benefits and risks

Natalizumab, a monoclonal antibody that blocks lymphocyte infiltration in the central nervous system, is a valuable tool in the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). In a phase III clinical trial comparing natalizumab with placebo over 2 years, natalizumab reduced annualized relapse rate by 68%, 12-week confirmed disability progression by 42%, and reduced contrast-enhancing lesions by 92%. In post hoc analyses, natalizumab treatment was associated with 37% of patients achieving no evidence of disease activity (versus 7% on placebo) and 30% achieving sustained disability improvement (versus 19% on placebo). Natalizumab did not achieve a statistically significant primary composite disability outcome in a trial of 887 patients with secondary progressive MS, but it did demonstrate a benefit on a prespecified component of the 9-Hole Peg Test. The greatest risk of natalizumab treatment is progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), with a 23% mortality rate. Risk stratification on the basis of immunosuppressant exposure, natalizumab treatment duration and anti-John Cunningham virus (JCV) antibody status and index has greatly improved clinical decision making. Other potential serious natalizumab-associated risks reported in clinical trials and postmarketing settings include infusion reactions, hepatotoxicity and rare, serious opportunistic infections. With more than a decade of continuous postmarketing experience, natalizumab remains a very effective option for patients with relapsing forms of MS. To optimize appropriate selection of natalizumab for patients with relapsing MS, however, a thorough understanding of individual patient risk factors for PML or other adverse events is also required.

Matrix metalloproteinase 9 is decreased in natalizumab-treated multiple sclerosis patients at risk for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

OBJECTIVE

To identify biomarkers associated with the development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with natalizumab (NTZ).

METHODS

Relapsing-remitting MS patients who developed PML under NTZ therapy (pre-PML) and non-PML NTZ-treated patients (NTZ-ctr) were included in the study. Cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum samples collected at baseline, at 1- and 2-year treated time points, and during PML were analyzed for gene expression by RNA sequencing and for serum protein levels by Luminex and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, respectively.

RESULTS

Among top differentially expressed genes in the RNA sequencing between pre-PML and NTZ-ctr patients, pathway analysis revealed a high representation of genes belonging to the following categories: proangiogenic factors (MMP9, VEGFA), chemokines (CXCL1, CXCL5, IL8, CCL2), cytokines (IL1B, IFNG), and plasminogen- and coagulation-related molecules (SERPINB2, PLAU, PLAUR, TFPI, THBD). Serum protein levels for these candidates were measured in a 2-step manner in a screening cohort and a validation cohort of pre-PML and NTZ-ctr patients. Only matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) was validated; in pre-PML patients, MMP9 protein levels were significantly reduced at baseline compared with NTZ-ctr patients, and levels remained lower at later time points during NTZ treatment.

INTERPRETATION

The results from this study suggest that the proangiogenic factor MMP9 may play a role as a biomarker associated with the development of PML in MS patients treated with NTZ. Ann Neurol 2017;82:186-195.

Progressive multi-focal leucoencephalopathy - driven from rarity to clinical mainstream by iatrogenic immunodeficiency

Advances in immune-mediated targeted therapies have proved to be a double-edged sword for patients by highlighting the risk of iatrogenic infective complications. This has been exemplified by progressive multi-focal leucoencephalopathy (PML), a hitherto rare devastating viral infection of the brain caused by the neurotrophic JC polyoma virus. While PML achieved prominence during the first two decades of the HIV epidemic, effective anti-retroviral treatment and restitution of T cell function has led to PML being less prominent in this population. HIV infection as a predisposing factor has now been supplanted by T cell immunodeficiency induced by a range of immune-mediated therapies as a major cause of PML. This review focuses on PML in the context of therapeutic immunosuppression and encompasses therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, novel immunomodulatory agents such as Fingolimod and dimethyl fumarate, as well as emerging data on PML in primary immune deficiency.

Natalizumab-associated PML

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) associated with natalizumab treatment continues to be a severe problem of clinically successful therapy. This is an update of risk stratification developments and discusses the current approach to depict and calculate PML incidence and PML risk. (1) PML incidence and resulting risk used in today's clinical practice are potentially outdated and the risk for patients with prior immunosuppression might have been underestimated. (2) Risk stratification according to treatment duration epochs likely suggests lower risk due to patients stopping treatment within a given epoch. PML incidence within the complete treatment epoch is statistically lowered due to the fact that patients at the beginning of an epoch presumably have a lower PML risk than the patients at the end. Periodic risk is not accurate in assessing risk for long treatment durations. (3) The JC virus (JCV) serostatus risk factor has low specificity concerning PML prediction and anti-JCV seroconversion during treatment with natalizumab further lowers its specificity over time. Specificity of the risk factor treatment duration varies depending on the average treatment duration and the number of short-term patients. These short-term patients reduce overall average treatment duration and thus enhance the specificity of the risk factor and reduce overall PML incidence. It is also suggested that short-term natalizumab patients are exclusively non-PML, even though they might still develop PML. Clinicians have to consider the cumulative risk of patients to stratify efficiently.

The use of natalizumab for multiple sclerosis

Natalizumab is a monoclonal antibody that acts as an α4 integrin antagonist to prevent leukocyte trafficking into the central nervous system. It is US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Natalizumab demonstrated high efficacy in Phase III trials by reducing the annualized relapse rate, preventing multiple sclerosis (MS) lesion accumulation on magnetic resonance imaging, and decreasing the probability of sustained progression of disability. The leading safety concern with natalizumab is its association with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare brain infection typically seen only in severely immunocompromised patients caused by reactivation of the John Cunningham virus (JCV). Careful analysis of risk factors for PML in natalizumab-treated MS patients, specifi-cally the presence of anti-JCV antibodies, has led to risk mitigation strategies to improve safety. Additional biomarkers are under investigation to further aid risk stratification. Natalizumab's high efficacy and favorable tolerability profile have led to a broad use by MS physicians, as both first-and second-line treatments. This review discusses the natalizumab efficacy, safety, and tolerability and finishes with pragmatic considerations regarding its use in clinical practice.