Gender-related differences in MS: a study of conventional and nonconventional MRI measures

Antulov, Ronald; Weinstock‐Guttman, Bianca; Cox, J.L.; Hussein, Sara; Durfee, Jacqueline; Caiola, C; Dwyer, Michael G.; Bergsland, Niels; Abdelrahman, Nadir; Stosic, Milena; Hojnacki, David; Munschauer, F; Miletić, Damir; Zivadinov, Robert

doi:10.1177/1352458508099479

Cited by 69 publications

(74 citation statements)

References 50 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…These results confirm those of previous studies which have suggested that males are more prone to MS brain damage [7,8] and/or that they show faster MS progression than females [3,4].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…Although being male has been proposed as a risk factor for cognitive impairment in MS patients [5], the results on brain neuropathological MS indices are conflicting, some studies have suggested a higher degree of brain damage in males [6][7][8], while others have failed to replicate these findings [9,10]. As these conflicting results might derive from gender interacting with other relevant demographic and clinical variables, we explored whether female and male MS patients, carefully matched for age, years of disease, level of education, intelligence quotient (IQ), neuropsychological performance and physical disability, differed in two indices of MS progression: gray matter (GM) atrophy and resting state functional connectivity (FC) changes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Increased regional gray matter atrophy and enhanced functional connectivity in male multiple sclerosis patients

Sanchis‐Segura

Cruz-Gómez

Belenguer

et al. 2016

Neuroscience Letters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…These results confirm those of previous studies which have suggested that males are more prone to MS brain damage [7,8] and/or that they show faster MS progression than females [3,4].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increased regional gray matter atrophy and enhanced functional connectivity in male multiple sclerosis patients

Sanchis‐Segura

Cruz-Gómez

Belenguer

et al. 2016

Neuroscience Letters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Our results could thus suggest a promotion of repairing and neuroprotective mechanisms associated with OC use. This interpretation is supported by experimental and clinical data indicating that sex hormones may have protective effects on brain damage and repair mechanisms in these patients [3][4][5]. All oestrogens are not exactly alike [5,23].…”

Section: P-valuesupporting

confidence: 64%

“…A higher prevalence of women with the RR-MS and a female-specific increase in the incidence of the disease has been documented, mainly from an increase in the number of female patients with RR-MS [2]. Gender-related differences in clinical severity, immunological features and brain damage have also been reported, suggesting an effect of sex hormones [3,4]. Moreover, in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of MS, treatment with sex hormones is able to protect against the development of the disease or reduce the severity of its clinical signs [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Oral contraceptive use and clinical outcomes in patients with multiple sclerosis

Sena¹,

Couderc²,

Vasconcelos³

et al. 2012

Journal of the Neurological Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Experimental and clinical data suggest a role of sex steroids in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Scant information is available about the potential effect of oral contraceptive (OC) use on the prognosis of the disease. We aimed to evaluate this. The study population consisted of 132 women with relapsing-remitting MS before receiving disease modifying treatment and a mean disease duration 6.2 (SD 5.1) years. Three groups of patients were distinguished according to their OC behavior: [1] never-users, patients who never used OC [2] past-users, patients who stopped OC use before disease onset, and [3] after-users, those who used these drugs after disease onset. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between oral contraceptive use and annualized relapse rates, disability accumulation and severity of the disease. After-user patients had lower Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS) values than never users (p b 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively) and past users (p = 0.010 and p = 0.002, respectively). These patients were also more likely to have a benign disease course (MSSS b 2.5) than never and past users together (OR: 4.52, 95%CI: 2.13-9.56, p b 0.001). This effect remained significant after adjustment for confounders, including smoking and childbirths (OR: 2.97, 95%CI: 1.24, 6.54, p = 0.011 and for MSSS β: − 1.04; 95% C.I. − 1.78, − 0.30, p = 0.006). These results suggest that OC use in women with relapsing-remitting MS is possible associated with a milder disabling disease course.

show abstract

“…Similarly, RRMS affects women about twice as often as men, and overall male gender has also been associated with worse prognosis. Although some small studies reported that men with MS are prone to develop less inflammatory but more destructive lesions than women (Pozzilli et al, 2003), have less T2 and gadolinium(Gd)-enhancing lesions (Weatherby et al, 2000) but more T1 lesions (van Walderveen et al, 2001) and more brain atrophy (Antulov et al, 2009), gender-specific MRI differences have not been confirmed by large studies (Fazekas et al, 2009). However, gender appears to influence disability during the early phase of RRMS.…”

Section: -Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender differences in circulating levels of neutrophil extracellular traps in serum of multiple sclerosis patients

Tillack

Naegele

Haueis

et al. 2013

Journal of Neuroimmunology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) trap and kill pathogens very efficiently but also activate dendritic cells and prime T cells. Previously, we demonstrated that neutrophils are primed and circulating NETs are elevated in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. Here, we demonstrate gender specific differences in circulating NETs but not in neutrophil priming in RRMS patients. Although the results from our systematic and in depth characterization of these patients argue against a major role of circulating NETs in this disease, they suggest that NETs may underlie gender-specific differences in MS pathogenesis. Abstract (100 words)Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) trap and kill pathogens very efficiently but also activate dendritic cells and prime T cells. Previously, we demonstrated that neutrophils are primed and circulating NETs are elevated in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. Here, we demonstrate gender specific differences in circulating NETs but not in neutrophil priming in RRMS patients. Although the results from our systematic and in depth characterization of these patients argue against a major role of circulating NETs in this disease, they suggest that NETs may underlie gender-specific differences in MS pathogenesis.Key words: Neutrophil, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), multiple sclerosis, genderCirculating NETs in MS patients 3 1-IntroductionThe main function of the innate immune system during infection is to eliminate the pathogen, and neutrophils are key players in innate immune responses.Women of reproductive age are more resistant to sepsis and subsequent morbidity and mortality than men (Schroder et al., 1998), and the incidence of sepsis in postmenopausal women increases to levels almost equal to those seen in age-matched men (Martin et al., 2003). Women also have a higher systemic neutrophil count compared with men (Bain and England, 1975a), and neutrophil counts correlate with estradiol levels during menstruation (Bain and England, 1975b) and pregnancy (Efrati et al., 1964) suggesting that sex hormones influence neutrophilia and overall resistance to sepsis most likely by delaying apoptosis in neutrophils (Molloy et al., 2003). In order to eliminate pathogens during infections, neutrophils are armed with a variety of weapons including engulfment and intracellular degradation of microbes (Hampton et al., 1998;Segal, 2005), release of oxygen species and granule proteins (Lehrer and Ganz, 1999) and release of extracellular chromatin fibers bound to granular, nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) (Brinkmann et al., 2004). NETs not only trap and kill pathogens very efficiently but also minimize collateral tissue damage by containing proteases to the DNA fibers and act as physical barriers preventing microbial spread. Despite the well documented importance of NETs as an effective antimicrobial first line defense mechanism, there is increasing ...

show abstract

Gender-related differences in MS: a study of conventional and nonconventional MRI measures

Cited by 69 publications

References 50 publications

Increased regional gray matter atrophy and enhanced functional connectivity in male multiple sclerosis patients

Increased regional gray matter atrophy and enhanced functional connectivity in male multiple sclerosis patients

Oral contraceptive use and clinical outcomes in patients with multiple sclerosis

Gender differences in circulating levels of neutrophil extracellular traps in serum of multiple sclerosis patients

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About