Table 1 Demographic characteristics and clinical features of volunteers with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) experimentally infected with the hookworm, Necator americanus (N+), or placebo-treated (PBO), included in the present study
Patient characteristics | N+ (n = 24) | PBO (n = 26) |
|---|---|---|
Demographic characteristics | Â | Â |
 Age (years, standard deviation) | 45.4 (8.8) | 45.8 (10.9) |
 Gender (no. of subjects, %) |  |  |
  Female | 17 (70.9%) | 19 (73.1%) |
  Male | 7 (29.1%) | 7 (26.9%) |
 Ethnicity (white, %) | 23 (95.8) | 24 (92.3) |
Clinical features | Â | Â |
 Mean EDSS score at Tpre (range) | 3.1 (1.5–5) | 3.1 (1.5–5) |
 Mean EDSS change during the trial | −0.08 | +0.17 |
 Previous DMT |  |  |
  Glatiramer acetate | 1 | 2 |
  IFN-beta | 5 | 2 |
 DMT in the 90 days prior to Tpre | 0 | 0 |
 Months from last DMT (average) | 96.6 | 63.3 |
 Prior steroid treatment* (*short course 3–5d) | 8 | 7 |
 Steroids in the 60 days prior to baseline | 0 | 0 |
 Steroids in the 90 days prior to baseline | 1 | 1 |
 Months from last steroid treatment (average) | 63.7 | 112.2 |
Clinical and/or radiological relapses | Â | Â |
 Clinical relapses (including MRI activity) | 3 | 5 |
 Radiological relapses (MRI activity only) | 7 | 12 |