title: Interferon-beta1b in multiple sclerosis: effect on progression of disability and clinical markers of treatment response.
abstract: There is limited long-term data on the effect of interferon-beta1b (IFN-beta1b) on disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). There is also no reliable way of predicting individual responses to IFN-beta1b treatment. This prospective study investigated early clinical prognostic markers of disease activity and progression in 115 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) treated with IFN-beta1b for almost 5 years. The study also compared progression of disability in IFN-beta1b-treated patients with a historic untreated cohort of MS patients (n = 44). The number of relapses in the first 2 years of MS and in the 2 years before treatment predicted an early relapse after IFN-beta1b treatment. The IFN-beta1b-treated group experienced a slower progression of disability than the untreated cohort, suggesting that IFN-beta1b treatment delays progression of disability in RRMS.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Figueres, Figueres, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Casado
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moral
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alonso-Magdalena
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez-Yélamos
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martínez-Yélamos
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martín-Ozaeta
authors.forename: Txomin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arbizu
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000068576:Interferon beta-1b; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000068576:Interferon beta-1b; D016899:Interferon-beta