Table 4.
Univariate and Multivariate Models Testing Associations between Age, Gender, EDSS, Disease Course, Recent Relapses, Recent EDSS Worsening, and DMT Status and sNfL in the SMSC Cohort
| Univariate | Multivariate | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable (sample No.) | sNfL, pg/ml [IQR] | β | 95% CI | p | β | 95% CI | p |
| Age (719) | — | 1.018 | 1.012–1.024 | <0.001 | 1.012 | 1.005–1.019 | <0.001 |
| Gender | |||||||
| F (474) | 29.1 [20.1–44.3] | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| M (245) | 30.9 [20.2–48.0] | 1.054 | 0.902–1.232 | 0.505 | 0.991 | 0.858–1.145 | 0.905 |
| EDSS (719) | — | 1.141 | 1.106–1.178 | <0.001 | 1.105 | 1.063–1.149 | <0.001 |
| Disease course | |||||||
| CIS/RRMS (581) | 27.2 [19.2–57.2] | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| PPMS/SPMS (138) | 41.4 [32.1–57.2] | 1.450 | 1.245–1.688 | <0.001 | 0.924 | 0.742–1.151 | 0.483 |
| Recent relapse, <60 days | |||||||
| No (643) | 28.9 [20.0–43.8] | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yes (76) | 39.3 [25.9–60.2] | 1.563 | 1.303–1.874 | <0.001 | 1.430 | 1.156–1.768 | <0.001 |
| Recent EDSS worsening | |||||||
| No (615) | 29.0 [20.1–43.9] | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yes (51) | 38.5 [27.8–64.0] | 1.294 | 1.090–1.536 | 0.003 | 1.119 | 0.962–1.303 | 0.146 |
| DMT | |||||||
| Untreated (162) | 38.0 [23.8–56.7] | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DMT treated (557) | 27.0 [20.1–45.2] | 0.717 | 0.634–0.810 | <0.001 | 0.818 | 0.716–0.934 | 0.003 |
The number of samples for each variable is indicated within parentheses (eg, number of samples collected in patients under treatment at time of sampling = 557, number of samples collected in patients untreated at time of sampling = 162). Information on age, gender, EDSS, disease course, recent relapses, and DMT treatment was available for 719 (100%) sampling time points. No data were available for preceding EDSS scores at 53 (7.4%) sampling time points.
CI = confidence interval; CIS = clinically isolated syndrome; DMT = disease‐modifying treatment; EDSS = Expanded Disability Status Scale; F = female; M = male; PPMS = primary progressive multiple sclerosis; RRMS = relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis; SMSC = Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Cohort Study; sNfL = serum neurofilament light chain; SPMS = secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.