MRI white matter signal abnormality (≥3 mm in size) characteristics of non-familial healthy control subjects and the healthy relatives of patients with multiple sclerosis
| Non-Familial HCs (n = 82) | Healthy Relatives of Patients With MS (n = 68) | P Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subjects with WM SAs, n (%) | 21 (25.6) | 20 (29.4) | .603 |
| Subjects with WM JC SAs, n (%) | 4 (4.9) | 7 (10.3) | .205 |
| Subjects with WM PVL SAs, n (%) | 7 (8.5) | 13 (19.1) | .058 |
| Subjects with WM IT SAs, n (%) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.5) | .271 |
| Subjects with DWM SAs, n (%) | 20 (24.4) | 17 (25.0) | .931 |
| Subjects with ≥9 WM SAs, n (%) | 4 (4.9) | 6 (8.8) | .335 |
| WM-SAN, mean (SD), median | 1.5 (4.7) 0 | 2.1 (5.1) 0 | .527 |
| WM JC SAN, mean (SD), median | 0.06 (0.3) 0 | 0.19 (0.7) 0 | .198 |
| WM PVL SAN, mean (SD), median | 0.32 (1.8) 0 | 0.40 (1.2) 0 | .061 |
| WM IT SAN mean (SD) median | 0.0 (0) 0 | 0.01 (0.1) 0 | .272 |
| WM DWM SAN, mean (SD), median | 1.1 (3.0) 0 | 1.5 (3.9) 0 | .838 |
| WM-SAV, mean (SD), median | 166.1 (892.0) | 230.4 (736.8) | .480 |
| DAWM-SAV,a mean (SD), median | 675.3 (554.7) | 866.2 (669.3) | .054 |
| WM-SAV + DAWM-SAV, mean (SD), median | 842.3 (1079.7) | 1096.5 (1026.6) | .024 |
Note:—SAs indicates signal abnormalities; SAN, signal abnormality number; JC, juxtacortical, PVL, periventricular; IT, infratentorial; DWM, deep white matter; SAV, signal abnormality volume.
Differences between the groups were compared by means of the χ2 test or Mann-Whitney U test.
The SAV is expressed in millimeters cubed (mm3).
↵a DAWM calculation was not related to the size of the hyperintensities.