[Actual status of multiple sclerosis in Cuba. National cooperative group for the clinical trial "Recombinant interferon alpha-2b in multiple sclerosis"].
BACKGROUND
Multiple sclerosis (MS) has been considered to be an uncommon disorder in Cuba. In recent years many Cuban investigators have worked hard studying MS in Cuba.


METHODS
We review the history, epidemiology, clinical characteristics, complementary investigations and clinical trials of recent studies published in national and international journals on the most important investigations done on MS in Cuba. There is an outstanding placebo-controlled, double blind, multicentric randomised clinical trial using recombinant alpha 2b-IFN in the relapsing-remitting clinical form in which the results obtained in the first 30 patients who completed 2 years treatment show a statistically significant reduction in the frequency of relapses and the number of patients free of relapses in patients who received alpha-IFN as compared with those given placebo treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
There has been an increase in the number of studies made on MS in Cuba in the past two years. Numerous clinical, neuroepidemiological, neurophysiological, biochemical, immunological, imaging and neuropsychological investigations and clinical trials indicate a marked increase in understanding of MS. The results of all these studies indicated the need for the creation of a National Reference Centre for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis, due to the complexity of this type of patients and the need to offer improved medical attention from a specialist team and to integrate the investigations in Cuba and internationally so as to reach the level of more developed countries.
Cabrera-Gómez
J A
JA
Sección de Esclerosis Múltiple, Hospital Universitario Dr. Gustavo Aldereguía Lima, Cienfuegos, Cuba. cabrera@jagua.cfg.sld.cu
Santana-Capote
E
E
Echazábal-Santana
N
N
Díaz de la Fe
A
A
Casanova
M
M
Gómez
L
L
Báez-Martín
M M
MM
González-Quevedo
A
A
Fernández
R
R
Vals
O
O
Peña
A
A
Rodríguez
A
A
Cabrera-Núñez
J A
JA
Moscoso
M E
ME
Ruiz
M
M
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007372:Interferons