Metabolic-Inflammatory Axis in Libyan RRMS Patients: Analytical Plan

This registered analytical plan details the prespecified statistical analyses for a case-control study investigating the relationship between systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein), atherogenic dyslipidemia (atherogenic index of plasma, lipid ratios), and clinical disease activity in 101 Libyan patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis compared to 92 matched healthy controls. The plan includes primary group comparisons, correlation analyses between inflammatory and metabolic markers, regression modeling to identify predictors of neurological disability (EDSS), mediation analysis testing CRP as a mediator between MS status and dyslipidemia, and structural equation modeling of the metabolic-inflammatory pathway. All analyses account for prespecified covariates (age, sex, BMI, physical activity, smoking status) with detailed protocols for handling missing data, outliers, and multiple comparisons. This registration was created prior to data analysis to ensure analytical transparency and prevent bias from data-driven hypothesis generation.