Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and axonal degeneration. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between inflammatory indexes and MS disease activity and progression. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at the Kocaeli University Neurology Clinic, involving 108 patients diagnosed with MS. Data related to patient demographics, clinical presentations, radiological findings, and laboratory results were recorded. Inflammatory markers such as NLR (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), PLR (platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio), MLR (monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio), and indexes such as SII (systemic immune inflammation index), SIRI (systemic immune response index), and AISI (systemic total aggregation index) were examined to determine their correlation with MS disease activity and disability. When assessing the influence of SII, AISI, and SIRI in predicting NEDA, it was found that all three indexes significantly predict NEDA. All indexes demonstrated a significant relationship with the EDSS score. Notably, SII, SIRI, and AISI were significant predictors of NEDA, and all inflammatory indexes showed a strong intercorrelation. This study investigates the role of inflammation markers in MS patients. It suggests that one or more of these non-invasive, straightforward, and practical markers could complement clinical and radiological parameters in monitoring MS.

Objectives: To investigate diffusional changes in multiple sclerosis (MS) plaques and non-Gaussian behavior of water diffusion by using diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI). Methods: 31 MS patients and 21 controls underwent MRI on a 3T scanner. Mean kurtosis (MK) parametric maps were computed. Region of interest (ROI) was delineated as white matter (WM) in controls and MS plaques and WM in patients. Results: There was no significance of WM kurtosis and skewness parameters among MS group and control group patients p=0.213 and p=0.390, respectively. In MS patients, kurtosis, skewness, maximum intensity, minimum intensity, and median intensity values of WM, Plaque 1, Plaque 2, and Plague 3 were significantly higher at p<0.0001 for all. Conclusions: DKI may provide more extensive characterization of lesions and WM and may be a sensitive indicator of tissue damage and microstructural change in patients with MS in addition to conventional diffusional evaluations.