No increase of serum autoantibodies during therapy with recombinant human interferon-beta1a in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
The present investigation was aimed at establishing whether interferon (IFN)-beta would induce the synthesis of autoantibodies in patients affected by multiple sclerosis (MS).


METHODS
The titres of different autoantibodies were measured in a group of 68 relapsing-remitting MS patients before and during treatment with human recombinant IFN-beta1a (3 MIU or 9 MIU subcutaneously 3x a week). ANA, anti-thyroid, anticardiolipin serum autoantibodies were assayed in all cases: when patients were found positive to ANA > 1 : 40, they were also tested for anti-DNA and anti-ENA antibodies.


RESULTS
No increase was found in autoantibodies synthesis during 6 months of r-hIFNbeta1a therapy, either at low or high dosages. The percentage of patients positive to different types of autoantibodies varied between 0 and 29%, which are values similar to those already reported in untreated MS patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate that the short-term use of IFN-beta1a in MS is safe in terms of the induction of humoral autoimmune responses: however, further follow-up is needed to confirm these findings during long-term treatments.
Colosimo
C
C
la Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
Pozzilli
C
C
Frontoni
M
M
Farina
D
D
Koudriavtseva
T
T
Gasperini
C
C
Salvetti
M
M
Valesini
G
G
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016899:Interferon-beta; D013954:Thyroglobulin