title: Effects of combination therapy of beta-interferon 1a and prednisone on serum immunologic markers in patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Beta-interferon (beta-IFN) has a proven treatment effect on relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), presumably through its regulatory properties on T-cell activation and cytokine production. This paper examines whether combination therapy of beta-IFN with prednisone would enhance immunoregulatory effects of beta-IFN by measuring serum levels of selected proinflammatory cytokines and soluble T-cell activation markers associated with MS. The selected markers were analyzed in MS patients treated with beta-IFN alone (n = 22) and beta-IFN combined with a low daily dose of prednisone (n = 33), as compared with those in 27 healthy controls at baseline and at a three-month interval for one year. The study confirmed that beta-IFN treatment inhibited serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) and intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in patients with MS. However, combination therapy did not significantly enhance the inhibitory effect of beta-IFN treatment on the production of TNFalpha, interleukin (IL)-12, IL-2R, and ICAM-1, while the addition of prednisone antagonized the effect of beta-IFN on up-regulation of IL-10 and soluble CD95. No difference in the occurrence of binding antibodies to beta-IFN was found between the two treatment groups. The findings are important for the understanding of the role of combination therapy in the treatment of MS.
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Baylor-Methodist Multiple Sclerosis Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Hassan H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Salama
authors.forename: Oldrich J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Kolar
authors.forename: Ying C Q
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.forename: Jingwu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015415:Biomarkers; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D000068556:Interferon beta-1a; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019014:fas Receptor; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D016899:Interferon-beta; D011241:Prednisone; D000068556:Interferon beta-1a