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Potential conflicts of interest outside the submitted work are as follows: M. Azzimonti has nothing to disclose. P. Preziosa received speaker honoraria from Roche, Biogen, Novartis, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genzyme, Horizon and Sanofi. He has received research support from Italian Ministry of Health and Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla. E. Pagani has nothing to disclose. A. Meani has nothing to disclose. M. Margoni reports grants and personal fees from Sanofi Genzyme, Merck Serono, Roche, Biogen, Amgen and Novartis. M. Rubin has nothing to disclose. M. Gueye has nothing to disclose. F. Esposito received consulting and speaking fees from Novartis and Sanofi Genzyme. M. Filippi is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neurology, Associate Editor of Human Brain Mapping, Neurological Sciences, and Radiology; received compensation for consulting services from Alexion, Almirall, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi; speaking activities from Bayer, Biogen, Celgene, Chiesi Italia SpA, Eli Lilly, Genzyme, Janssen, Merck-Serono, Neopharmed Gentili, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Roche, Sanofi, Takeda, and TEVA; participation in Advisory Boards for Alexion, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Sanofi-Aventis, Sanofi-Genzyme, Takeda; scientific direction of educational events for Biogen, Merck, Roche, Celgene, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lilly, Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme; he receives research support from Biogen Idec, Merck-Serono, Novartis, Roche, the Italian Ministry of Health, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, and Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla. M.A. Rocca received consulting fees from Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Roche, and speaker honoraria from AstraZaneca, Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Bromatech, Celgene, Genzyme, Horizon Therapeutics Italy, Merck Serono SpA, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi and Teva, she receives research support from the MS Society of Canada, the Italian Ministry of Health, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, and Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla, she is Associate Editor for Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders; and Associate Co-Editor for Europe and Africa for Multiple Sclerosis Journal.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Conflict of interest"}},{"value":"This was a retrospective observational study. Approval was received from local institutional ethical standards committee on human experimentation (Protocol number 59\/INT\/2015).","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethical approval"}}],"article-number":"228"}}