Glucocorticosteroid treatment and therapeutic plasma exchange in clinically isolated syndrome and multiple sclerosis patients.

<p>A) Response to glucocorticosteroid treatment in CIS and MS patients (n = 81). B) Response to therapeutic plasma exchange in CIS and MS patients (n = 90). C) Different responses to therapeutic plasma exchange in CIS and MS patients (n = 90). D) Development of median EDSS values during therapeutic plasma exchange (n = 90). CIS = clinically isolated syndrome, Deterioration = clinical symptom worsened and/or additional symptoms, Insufficient improvement = slight change in symptom without impact on function, Marked improvement = clinically significant improvement in function, Moderate improvement = definite change of the neurologic deficit without significant impact on function within the functional score, MS = multiple sclerosis, n = number of patients, No effect = clinical symptom unchanged, PP-MS = primary-progressive MS with acute worsening, RR-MS = relapsing-remitting MS, SP-MS = secondary-progressive MS with superimposed relapse, * <i>p</i> = 0.01 (CIS versus SP-MS), ** <i>p</i> = 0.002 (RR-MS versus SP-MS), *** <i>p</i> = 0.001 (EDSS before versus after TPE).