Iron deposition in multiple sclerosis: overall load or distribution alteration?

European Radiology Experimental

Table 3 Correlation between clinical profile and brain iron concentrations (global and regional) in MS patients

	Global iron load (Iron load per cc2 brain volume)	Regional iron load (n = 500 ROIs)
	Global iron load (Iron load per cc2 brain volume)	Basal ganglia	Thalami	NAWM	MS periventricular lesions
Age	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	r = – 0.163, p = 0.023*
Disease duration	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	r = – 0.323, p = 0.012*	r = – 0.292, p < 0.001*
Number of relapses	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	p > 0.05
INF-β duration^a	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	p >0.05	p > 0.05	r = 0.165, p = 0.021*
EDSS	p > 0.05	r = 0.200, p = 0.029*	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	r = – 0.167, p = 0.019*
T25FW	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	r = -0.285, p = 0.027*	r = – 0.268, p = 0.039*	r = – 0.240, p = 0.001*
SDMT	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	p > 0.05	p > 0.05

EDSS Expanded disability status scale, INF-β Interferon beta therapy, MS Multiple sclerosis, n Number, NAWM Normal-appearing white matter, r Spearman coefficient, ROIs Regions of interest, T25FW Timed 25-foot walking test, SDMT Symbol digit modality test
^aEvaluated in the patients who received treatment only
*Statistically significant