Multiple sclerosis: modern diagnostic markers and prognostic factors of disease progression

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common causes of disability in young people of working age. The prevalence of this disease has increased significantly in recent years and today amounts to more than 2 900 000 people worldwide. The transition from relapsing-remitting MS to secondary progressive MS is observed in 25 % of cases within 10 years the disease duration, and with further time the proportion of patients with secondary progressive MS increases. Despite the importance of preventing patient disability, today the diagnosis of secondary progressive MS is established retrospectively, which makes the issue of identifying early markers of disease progression extremely relevant. The most promising diagnostic markers allow the differentiation of progressive MS with a sensitivity of up to 87 % and a specificity of up to 90 %. This review will consider the most promising clinical, instrumental and biological signs of early progression of MS.