Prognostic factors in ALS: a comparison between Germany and China

Dorst J, Chen L, Rosenbohm A, Dreyhaupt J, Hübers A, Schuster J, Weishaupt JH, Kassubek J, Gess B, Meyer T, Weyen U, Hermann A, Winkler J, Grehl T, Hagenacker T, Lingor P, Koch JC, Sperfeld A, Petri S, Großkreutz J, Metelmann M, Wolf J, Winkler AS, Klopstock T, Boentert M, Johannesen S, Storch A, Schrank B, Zeller D, Liu Xl, Tang L, Fan DS, Ludolph AC (2019)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2019

Journal

DOI: 10.1007/s00415-019-09290-4

Abstract

Objective: Several independent prognostic factors, such as age of onset, type of onset, body mass index (BMI), and progression rate have been identified for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Caucasians. The aim of this study was to identify such factors in Chinese patients and to compare their impact with German patients. Methods: Comparison of prognostic factors was based on two hospital-based registries. The registry of the German Network for Motor Neuron Diseases contains 3100 patients with ALS. The Chinese registry comprises 2101 patients who were collected between 2003 and 2015 in the metropolitan area of Beijing. Results: Disease progression was slower in China [median loss of 0.50 points (IQR 0.26–0.87 points) versus 0.55 points (IQR 0.28–1.00 points) of ALS functional rating scale revised (ALS-FRS-R) score per month; p < 0.0001]. Survival of patients with ALS was similar in Germany and China (p > 0.05). We found that younger age of onset (p < 0.0001), spinal onset (p < 0.0001), high BMI (p < 0.0001) and low progression rate (p < 0.0001) were positive prognostic factors in China as well as in Germany. Interpretation: Prognostic factors, which are known to modify the course of disease in Caucasians, apply to Chinese patients as well. The results indicate that despite the apparent differences regarding genotype and clinical phenotype, findings from interventional studies in Caucasians aiming at disease-modifying prognostic factors (such as body weight) may be transferred to Chinese patients.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

RKU - Universitäts- und Rehabilitationskliniken Ulm Germany (DE) Peking University (PKU) / 北京大学 China (CN) NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence at the Charité Germany (DE) Berufsgenossenschaftliches Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil Germany (DE) Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Zellbiologie und Genetik / Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Göttingen Germany (DE) Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ) / Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research Germany (DE) Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH) / Hannover Medical School Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Jena Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Leipzig Germany (DE) Klinikum rechts der Isar Germany (DE) Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Germany (DE) Universität Rostock Germany (DE) Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Essen Germany (DE) Fachklinik für Neurologie Dietenbronn GmbH Germany (DE) Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Münster Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Regensburg Germany (DE) HELIOS Kliniken Germany (DE) Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Dorst, J., Chen, L., Rosenbohm, A., Dreyhaupt, J., Hübers, A., Schuster, J.,... Ludolph, A.C. (2019). Prognostic factors in ALS: a comparison between Germany and China. Journal of Neurology. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00415-019-09290-4

MLA:

Dorst, Johannes, et al. "Prognostic factors in ALS: a comparison between Germany and China." Journal of Neurology (2019).

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