OCRELIZUMAB TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: A SINGLE CENTER EXPERIENCE

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to present the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) who received Ocrelizumab treatment at Kocaeli University Neurology Outpatient Clinic. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 118 MS patients who underwent Ocrelizumab treatment at Kocaeli University Neurology Clinic between January 2000 and 2023. The study evaluated demographic characteristics, clinical findings, and radiological findings of the patients, including age, gender, family history, age of onset of complaints, age of MS diagnosis, MS clinical phenotype, disease duration, first attack symptoms, previous treatments, Lublin criteria evaluation, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and radiological findings. RESULTS: Out of the 118 cases analyzed, 68.6% were female and 31.4% were male, resulting in a female/male ratio of 2.18. The most common first attack symptoms observed were sensory and motor findings (38.1%), followed by motor findings (20.3%), brain stem findings (17.7%), visual impairment (12.7%), sensory findings (6.7%), and sphincter involvement (4.23%). The majority of cases (75.4%) were classified as Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS), while 24.6% were Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS). The reasons for transitioning to Ocrelizumab treatment varied, including progression and MRI activity increase, progression increase, MRI activity increase, MRI activity and frequency of attacks increase, and drug side effects. The evaluation of attack frequency before Ocrelizumab treatment showed that 44.91% had one attack, 17.79% had two attacks, and 37.28% had no attacks in the last year. Post- treatment, 90.67% of patients did not experience any attacks, while attacks were detected in 9.33% of cases. The EDSS evaluation was performed before treatment and at the sixth, 12th, and 24th months after treatment. One patient discontinued Ocrelizumab due to pregnancy. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this retrospective study provided insights into the clinical and demographic characteristics of MS patients treated with Ocrelizumab. The treatment demonstrated a reduction in attack frequency in the majority of patients. Further research with larger patient populations is necessary to confirm the efficacy and safety of Ocrelizumab in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.