About the Authors

Michaela Schimpl

Affiliations Sylvia Lawry Centre for Multiple Sclerosis Research e.V. – The Human Motion Institute, Munich, Germany, Trium Analysis Online GmbH, Munich, Germany

Carmel Moore

Affiliation Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Christian Lederer

Affiliation Sylvia Lawry Centre for Multiple Sclerosis Research e.V. – The Human Motion Institute, Munich, Germany

Anneke Neuhaus

Affiliation Sylvia Lawry Centre for Multiple Sclerosis Research e.V. – The Human Motion Institute, Munich, Germany

Jennifer Sambrook

Affiliation Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge and NHS Blood and Transplant, Cambridge, United Kingdom

John Danesh

Affiliation Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Willem Ouwehand

Affiliation Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge and NHS Blood and Transplant, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Martin Daumer

daumer@slcmsr.org

Affiliations Sylvia Lawry Centre for Multiple Sclerosis Research e.V. – The Human Motion Institute, Munich, Germany, Trium Analysis Online GmbH, Munich, Germany

Competing Interests

Martin Daumer, Scientific Director of the Sylvia Lawry Centre for Multiple Sclerosis Research e.V. (SLC) and one of the two Managing Directors of Trium Analysis Online GmbH, serves on the Editorial Board of MedNous and holds Patent 10 2007 044 705.3-35, German patent and trademark office 307 19 449.3/09. The Sylvia Lawry Centre received honoraria for interviews of Dr. Daumer with Propagate Pharma Limited and Deerfield Research LLC; is Medical Advisor of the German Multiple Sclerosis Society; received honoraria for consultancy, statistical analysis and use of actibelt® technology from the following entities: Bayer Schering, Biopartners, Biogen Idec, Biogenerix, Böhringer-Ingelheim, EISAI Limited, Heron Evidence Development Ltd, Hoffmann-La Roche, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development LLC, Sanofi-Aventis U.S. INC., Novartis Pharma GmbH, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University of Southampton, Charite Berlin, University of Vienna, Greencoat Ltd, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf; serves on the advisory board for EPOSA study and received research grants from the following governmental entities: Federal Ministry of Education and Research Grant No 01GI0904, 01GI0920, Mayo Clinic Rochester, European Union (for SLC and Trium) Grant No 215820, European Union (for SLC) Grant No 223865, Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology Grant No KF0564001KF7, University of Oxford, Technical University of Munich, Hertie Foundation Grant No 1.01.1/07/015, Bavarian Research Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), Porticus Foundation Grant No 900.50578, European Union Grant No LSHM-CT-2006-03759, University of Rochester, European Union Grant No LSHM-CT-2004-503485. Michaela Schimpl is an employee of Trium Analysis Online GmbH. Anneke Neuhaus and Christian Lederer are employees of the Sylvia Lawry Centre for Multiple Sclerosis Research. John Danesh is a board member of Merck Sharp & Dohme UK Atherosclerosis Advisory Board and Novartis Cardiovascular & Metabolic Advisory Board. John Danesh has received payment for lectures including service on speakers bureaus as well as travel/accomodation/meeting expenses (unrelated to the activities listed) from GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer. This does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials, as detailed online in the guide for authors.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: MD JD WO CM JS. Performed the experiments: MS MD CM JS. Analyzed the data: MS MD AN CL. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MS MD CM JS. Wrote the paper: MS MD CM. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: MS MD JD WO AN JS CL. Obtained funding: MD JD WO. Administrative, technical or material support: MS MD AN CL.