Liesbet Peeters

Hasselt University · Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED)

Background: Cladribine tablets are a highly effective immune reconstitution therapy licensed for treating relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) in Europe since 2017. Currently, there is a high demand for real-world data from different clinical settings on the effectiveness and safety profile of cladribine in MS. Methods: Within this report, we retr...

Background: Disability progression is a key milestone in the disease evolution of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Prediction models of disability progression have not yet reached the level of trust needed to be adopted in the clinic. A common benchmark to assess model development in multiple sclerosis is also currently lacking. Methods: Data...

Background and objectives: Certain demographic and clinical characteristics, including the use of some disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), are associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection severity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Comprehensive exploration of these relationships in large international samples is...

Background Interferon-β, a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for MS, may be associated with less severe COVID-19 in people with MS. Results Among 5,568 patients (83.4% confirmed COVID-19), interferon-treated patients had lower risk of severe COVID-19 compared to untreated, but not to glatiramer-acetate, dimethyl-fumarate, or pooled other DMTs. Conc...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Through the demyelinating and axonal pathology of MS, the signal conduction in the central nervous system is affected. Evoked potential measurements allow clinicians to monitor this process and can be used for decision support. We share a dataset that contains moto...

Background One of the major objectives of the Multiple Sclerosis Data Alliance (MSDA) is to enable better discovery of multiple sclerosis (MS) real-world data (RWD). Methods We implemented the MSDA Catalogue, which is available worldwide. The current version of the MSDA Catalogue collects descriptive information on governance, purpose, inclusion c...

Background People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are a vulnerable group for severe COVID- 19, particularly those taking immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). We examined the characteristics of COVID-19 severity in an international sample of people with MS. Methods Data from 12 data-sources in 28 countries were aggregated (sources cou...

Background People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are a vulnerable group for severe COVID-19, particularly those taking immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). We examined the characteristics of COVID-19 severity in an international sample of people with MS. Methods Data from 12 data-sources in 28 countries were aggregated (sources coul...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in uncertain access to medical treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) all over the world. However, there is no data regarding its impact on access to health care of pwMS from Latin America. Objectives We investigated and described changes in health care delivery for pwMS from Latin America...

Cytotoxic CD4+ T cells (CD4 CTL) are terminally differentiated T helper cells that contribute to autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. We developed a novel triple co-culture transwell assay to study mutual interactions between CD4 CTL, conventional TH cells, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) simultaneously. We show that, while CD4 CTL are r...

Background and objectives: Research in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has recently focused on extracting knowledge from real-world clinical data sources. This type of data is more abundant than data produced during clinical trials and potentially more informative about real-world clinical practice. However, this comes at the cost of less curated and cont...

Background There is no data regarding COVID-19 in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients in Latin America. Objective The objective of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients included in RELACOEM, a LATAM registry of MS and NMOSD patients infected with COVID-19....

Background People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are a vulnerable group for severe COVID-19, particularly those taking immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). We examined the characteristics of COVID-19 severity in an international sample of people with MS. Methods Data from 12 data-sources in 28 countries were aggregated. Demographic...

The Multiple Sclerosis Data Alliance (MSDA), a global multi-stakeholder collaboration, is working to accelerate research insights for innovative care and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) through better use of real-world data (RWD). Despite the increasing reliance on RWD, challenges and limitations complicate the generation, collect...

Research in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has recently focused on extracting knowledge from real-world clinical data sources. This type of data is more abundant than data produced during clinical trials and potentially more informative about real-world clinical practice. However, this comes at the cost of less curated and controlled data sets. In this wo...

Motor Evoked Potentials (MEPs) are used to monitor disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). Their morphology plays an important role in this process. Currently, however, there is no clear definition of what constitutes a normal or abnormal morphology. To address this, five experts independently labeled the morphology (normal or abnormal)...

Background: Evoked potentials (EPs) are a measure of the conductivity of the central nervous system. They are used to monitor disease progression of multiple sclerosis patients. Previous studies only extracted a few variables from the EPs, which are often further condensed into a single variable: the EP score. We perform a machine learning analysi...

Background: Evoked potentials (EPs) are a measure of the conductivity of the central nervous system. They are used to monitor disease progression of multiple sclerosis patients. Previous studies only extracted a few variables from the EPs, which are often further condensed into a single variable: the EP score. We perform a machine learning analysis...

Personalized treatment is highly desirable in multiple sclerosis (MS). We believe that multidisciplinary measurements including clinical, functional and patient-reported outcome measures in combination with extensive patient profiling can enhance personalized treatment and rehabilitation strategies. We elaborate on four reasons behind this statemen...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive demyelinating and degenerative disease of the central nervous system with symptoms depending on the disease type and the site of lesions and is featured by heterogeneity of clinical expressions and responses to treatment strategies. An individualized clinical follow-up and multidisciplinary treatment is requ...

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a latent virus which causes chronic activation of the immune system. Here, we demonstrate that cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory CD4+CD28null T cells are only present in CMV seropositive donors and that CMV-specific Immunoglobulin (Ig) G titers correlate with the percentage of these cells. In vitro stimulation of peripheral bl...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the leading cause of chronic neurological disability in young adults. The clinical disease course of MS varies greatly between individuals, with some patients progressing much more rapidly than others, making prognosis almost impossible. We previously discovered that cytotoxic CD4+ T cells (CD4+ CTL), identified by the lo...

Genetic factors involved in susceptibility to insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) in Belgian Warmblood horses (BWP) were investigated. Data relating to 3409 horses were collected using a questionnaire, administered to owners during sport competitions, BWP breeding days, breeder visits and after phone calls. Horses were classified as IBH-affected or...

Follicular regulatory T cells (TFR) have been extensively characterized in mice and participate in germinal center responses by regulating the maturation of B cells and production of (auto)antibodies. We report that circulating TFR are phenotypically distinct from tonsil-derived TFR in humans. They have a lower expression of follicular markers, and...

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an allergic reaction to the bites of certain Culicoides spp. or other insects. In this study, risk factors for IBH in Belgian warmblood horses stabled or grazing in Flanders (Belgium) were investigated. IBH records (n=3409) were collected in 2009 and 2011 using a questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. The c...

Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) is a well-known problem in the Belgian draft horse. However, tools for clinical diagnosis have not been standardized. Therefore, the exact disease prevalence and the possible CPL risk factors have not been investigated in the Belgian breed yet. The aim of the present study was to assess a uniform CPL clinical ex...

Genetic parameters for chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL)-associated traits in Belgian Draught Horses were estimated, using a multitrait animal model. Clinical scores of CPL in the four limbs/horse (CPLclin), skinfold thickness and hair samples (hair diameter) were studied. Due to CPLclin uncertainty in younger horses (progressive CPL character),...

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) in horses represents a type I or sometimes a type IV hypersensitivity to salivary antigens from numerous Culicoides spp and some other insects. Until now, there has been no curative treatment available, but there are clear indications that the susceptibility to IBH is partly heritable. Identification of equine gen...

The native Belgian draught horse (BTP) was bred as a large and well-muscled horse to serve in agriculture and transportation. The reduction in population size after 1950 and the unequal usage of stallions may have reduced the breed’s diversity. Genetic diversity was assessed using both pedigree data and molecular marker genotypes, making a comparis...