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Lefort M, Sharmin S, Andersen JB, Vukusic S, Casey R, Debouverie M, Edan G, Ciron J, Ruet A, De Sèze J, Maillart E, Zephir H, Labauge P, Defer G, Lebrun-Frenay C, Moreau T, Berger E, Clavelou P, Pelletier J, Stankoff B, Gout O, Thouvenot E, Heinzlef O, Al-Khedr A, Bourre B, Casez O, Cabre P, Montcuquet A, Wahab A, Camdessanché JP, Maurousset A, Ben Nasr H, Hankiewicz K, Pottier C, Maubeuge N, Dimitri-Boulos D, Nifle C, Laplaud DA, Horakova D, Havrdova EK, Alroughani R, Izquierdo G, Eichau S, Ozakbas S, Patti F, Onofrj M, Lugaresi A, Terzi M, Grammond P, Grand'Maison F, Yamout B, Prat A, Girard M, Duquette P, Boz C, Trojano M, McCombe P, Slee M, Lechner-Scott J, Turkoglu R, Sola P, Ferraro D, Granella F, Shaygannejad V, Prevost J, Maimone D, Skibina O, Buzzard K, Van der Walt A, Karabudak R, Van Wijmeersch B, Csepany T, Spitaleri D, Vucic S, Koch-Henriksen N, Sellebjerg F, Soerensen PS, Hilt Christensen CC, Rasmussen PV, Jensen MB, Frederiksen JL, Bramow S, Mathiesen HK, Schreiber KI, Butzkueven H, Magyari M, Kalincik T, Leray E. Impact of methodological choices in comparative effectiveness studies: application in natalizumab versus fingolimod comparison among patients with multiple sclerosis. BMC Med Res Methodol 2022; 22:155. [PMID: 35637426 PMCID: PMC9150358 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-022-01623-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Natalizumab and fingolimod are used as high-efficacy treatments in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis. Several observational studies comparing these two drugs have shown variable results, using different methods to control treatment indication bias and manage censoring. The objective of this empirical study was to elucidate the impact of methods of causal inference on the results of comparative effectiveness studies. Methods Data from three observational multiple sclerosis registries (MSBase, the Danish MS Registry and French OFSEP registry) were combined. Four clinical outcomes were studied. Propensity scores were used to match or weigh the compared groups, allowing for estimating average treatment effect for treated or average treatment effect for the entire population. Analyses were conducted both in intention-to-treat and per-protocol frameworks. The impact of the positivity assumption was also assessed. Results Overall, 5,148 relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis patients were included. In this well-powered sample, the 95% confidence intervals of the estimates overlapped widely. Propensity scores weighting and propensity scores matching procedures led to consistent results. Some differences were observed between average treatment effect for the entire population and average treatment effect for treated estimates. Intention-to-treat analyses were more conservative than per-protocol analyses. The most pronounced irregularities in outcomes and propensity scores were introduced by violation of the positivity assumption. Conclusions This applied study elucidates the influence of methodological decisions on the results of comparative effectiveness studies of treatments for multiple sclerosis. According to our results, there are no material differences between conclusions obtained with propensity scores matching or propensity scores weighting given that a study is sufficiently powered, models are correctly specified and positivity assumption is fulfilled. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12874-022-01623-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lefort
- Arènes - UMR 6051, RSMS (Recherche sur les Services et Management en Santé) - U 1309, Univ Rennes, EHESP, CNRS, Inserm, Rennes, France.,Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Investigation Clinique de Rennes)], CIC 1414 [(Centre d, 35000, InsermRennes, France
| | - S Sharmin
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Melbourne MS Centre, Department of Neurology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - J B Andersen
- Department of Neurology, The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, Denmark
| | - S Vukusic
- Service de Neurologie, Sclérose en Plaques, Pathologies de La Myéline Et Neuro-Inflammation, Hôpital Neurologique Pierre Wertheimer, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 69677, Lyon/Bron, France.,Centre Des Neurosciences de Lyon, UMR5292, Observatoire Français de La Sclérose en Plaques, INSERM, 1028 et CNRS, 69003, Lyon, France.,Université, Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Faculté de médecine Lyon Est, 69000, Lyon, France
| | - R Casey
- Service de Neurologie, Sclérose en Plaques, Pathologies de La Myéline Et Neuro-Inflammation, Hôpital Neurologique Pierre Wertheimer, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 69677, Lyon/Bron, France.,Centre Des Neurosciences de Lyon, UMR5292, Observatoire Français de La Sclérose en Plaques, INSERM, 1028 et CNRS, 69003, Lyon, France.,Université, Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Faculté de médecine Lyon Est, 69000, Lyon, France.,Eugene Devic EDMUS Foundation, 69677, Lyon/Bron, France
| | - M Debouverie
- Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Nancy, Hôpital Central, Service de neurologie, Nancy, France
| | - G Edan
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes, Hôpital Pontchaillou, Service de neurologie, Rennes, France
| | - J Ciron
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Hôpital Purpan, CRC-SEP, Département de neurologie, Toulouse, France
| | - A Ruet
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux, Hôpital Pellegrin, Service de neurologie, Bordeaux, France
| | - J De Sèze
- Service des maladies inflammatoires du système nerveux - neurologie, centre d'investigation clinique de Strasbourg, Hôpitaux Universitaire de Strasbourg, Hôpital de Hautepierre, INSERM 1434, Strasbourg, France
| | - E Maillart
- Assistance Publique Des Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital de La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de neurologie, Paris, France
| | - H Zephir
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lille, Hôpital Salengro, Service de neurologie D, Lille, France
| | - P Labauge
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier, Hôpital Gui de Chauliac, Service de neurologie, Montpellier, France
| | - G Defer
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Caen Normandie, Hôpital Côte de Nacre, Service de neurologie, Caen, France
| | - C Lebrun-Frenay
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, UR2CA-URRIS,, Université Nice Côte d'Azur, Hôpital, Pasteur 2, Service de neurologie, Nice, France
| | - T Moreau
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon Bourgogne, Hôpital François Mitterrand, Maladies Inflammatoires du Système Nerveux Et Neurologie Générale, Service de neurologie, Dijon, France
| | - E Berger
- Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Besançon, Hôpital Jean Minjoz, Service de neurologie, Besançon, France
| | - P Clavelou
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Clermont-Ferrand, Hôpital Gabriel-Montpied, Service de neurologie, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - J Pelletier
- Service de Neurologie, Aix Marseille Univ, APHM, Hôpital de La Timone, Pôle de Neurosciences Cliniques, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - B Stankoff
- Assistance Publique Des Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Service de neurologie, Paris, France
| | - O Gout
- Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild de L'œil Et du Cerveau, Service de neurologie, Paris, France
| | - E Thouvenot
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nîmes, Hôpital Carémeau, Service de neurologie, Nîmes, France
| | - O Heinzlef
- Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Poissy Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Service de neurologie, Poissy, France
| | - A Al-Khedr
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Amiens Picardie, Site sud, Service de neurologie, Amiens, France
| | - B Bourre
- Rouen University Hospital, 76000, Rouen, France
| | - O Casez
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Grenoble-Alpes, Site nord, Service de neurologie, Grenoble/La Tronche, France
| | - P Cabre
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Martinique, Hôpital Pierre Zobda-Quitman, Service de neurologie, Fort-de-France, France
| | - A Montcuquet
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Limoges, Hôpital Dupuytren, Service de neurologie, Limoges, France
| | - A Wahab
- Assistance Publique Des Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Service de neurologie, Créteil, France
| | - J P Camdessanché
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint-Étienne, Hôpital Nord, Service de neurologie, Saint-Étienne, France
| | - A Maurousset
- Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours, Hôpital Bretonneau, Service de neurologie, Tours, France
| | - H Ben Nasr
- Centre Hospitalier Sud Francilien, Service de neurologie, Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - K Hankiewicz
- Centre Hospitalier de Saint-Denis, Hôpital Casanova, Service de neurologie, Saint-Denis, France
| | - C Pottier
- Centre Hospitalier de Pontoise, Service de neurologie, Pontoise, France
| | - N Maubeuge
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Poitiers, Site de La Milétrie, Service de neurologie, Poitiers, France
| | - D Dimitri-Boulos
- Assistance Publique Des Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bicêtre, Service de neurologie, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - C Nifle
- Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, Hôpital André-Mignot, Service de neurologie, Le Chesnay, France
| | - D A Laplaud
- CHU de Nantes, Service de Neurologie & CIC015 INSERM, 44093, Nantes, France.,INSERM CR1064, 44000, Nantes, France
| | - D Horakova
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - E K Havrdova
- Department of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - R Alroughani
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Amiri Hospital, Sharq, Kuwait
| | - G Izquierdo
- Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Seville, Spain
| | - S Eichau
- Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Seville, Spain
| | - S Ozakbas
- Dokuz Eylul University, Konak/Izmir, Turkey
| | - F Patti
- GF Ingrassia Department, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.,Policlinico G Rodolico, Catania, Italy
| | - M Onofrj
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - A Lugaresi
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Biomediche E Neuromotorie, Università Di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche Di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - M Terzi
- Medical Faculty, 19 Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey
| | - P Grammond
- CISSS Chaudiere-Appalache, Levis, Canada
| | | | - B Yamout
- Nehme and Therese Tohme Multiple Sclerosis Center, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - A Prat
- Hopital Notre Dame, Montreal, Canada.,CHUM and Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - M Girard
- Hopital Notre Dame, Montreal, Canada.,CHUM and Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - P Duquette
- Hopital Notre Dame, Montreal, Canada.,CHUM and Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - C Boz
- KTU Medical Faculty Farabi Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - M Trojano
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - P McCombe
- University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, Australia
| | - M Slee
- Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - J Lechner-Scott
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.,Department of Neurology, John Hunter Hospital, Hunter New England Health, Newcastle, Australia
| | - R Turkoglu
- Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - P Sola
- Department of Neuroscience, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Modena, Italy
| | - D Ferraro
- Department of Neuroscience, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Modena, Italy
| | - F Granella
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.,Department of Emergency and General Medicine, Parma University Hospital, Parma, Italy
| | | | - J Prevost
- CSSS Saint-Jérôme, Saint-Jerome, Canada
| | | | - O Skibina
- Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - K Buzzard
- Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | | | - B Van Wijmeersch
- Rehabilitation and MS-Centre Overpelt and Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - T Csepany
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - D Spitaleri
- Azienda Ospedaliera Di Rilievo Nazionale San Giuseppe Moscati Avellino, Avellino, Italy
| | - S Vucic
- Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - N Koch-Henriksen
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - F Sellebjerg
- Danish Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, 2600, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - P S Soerensen
- Danish Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, 2600, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - C C Hilt Christensen
- Department of Neurology, Aalborg University Hospital, Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - P V Rasmussen
- Aarhus University Hospital, Neurology, PJJ Boulevard, DK-8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - M B Jensen
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Northern Sealand, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J L Frederiksen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - S Bramow
- Danish Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, 2600, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - H K Mathiesen
- Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K I Schreiber
- Danish Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, 2600, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - H Butzkueven
- Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Neurology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Box Hill Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - M Magyari
- Melbourne MS Centre, Department of Neurology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.,Danish Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, 2600, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - T Kalincik
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - E Leray
- Arènes - UMR 6051, RSMS (Recherche sur les Services et Management en Santé) - U 1309, Univ Rennes, EHESP, CNRS, Inserm, Rennes, France. .,Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Investigation Clinique de Rennes)], CIC 1414 [(Centre d, 35000, InsermRennes, France.
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