title: Interferon-beta1a administration results in a transient increase of serum amyloid A protein and C-reactive protein: comparison with other markers of inflammation.
abstract: Putative markers of inflammation such as serum beta2-microglobulin and neopterin have been shown to be transiently upregulated following interferon-beta (IFN-beta) administration to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. However, to date the role of the important inflammatory mediators serum amyloid A protein (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) have not been described. Here we show that SAA but not CRP is elevated in relapsing-remitting MS patients compared to normal healthy individuals, and furthermore that both are transiently upregulated following intramuscular injection with IFN-beta1a (Avonex). This pattern of expression was found to parallel that of beta2-microglobulin and neopterin following injection and was mirrored by a selective activation of peripheral monocytes with respect to upregulation of receptors known to be involved in the inflammatory response (HLA-DR, CD16 and CD86). Injection of saline solution intramuscularly to six healthy control individuals did not produce a similar upregulation of any of the inflammatory markers investigated. Following IFN-beta1a injection, all inflammatory responses were attenuated at week 12 of therapy in comparison to those following the initial injection in a group of follow-up patients. In addition, IFN-beta1a injected on a weekly basis did not produce a sustained modulation of any of the markers investigated in patients treated for 32 weeks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, The Queen's University of Belfast, Microbiology Building, Royal Group of Hospitals Trust, Grosvenor Road, BT12 6BA, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. m.boylan@qub.ac.uk
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Boylan
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Crockard
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Duddy
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hawkins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068556:Interferon beta-1a; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D016899:Interferon-beta; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000068556:Interferon beta-1a