The effect of interferon beta-1b on size of short-lived enhancing lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis.
BACKGROUND
Contrast enhancing lesions (CELs) in MRI represent inflammatory events in multiple sclerosis (MS). IFN-beta-1b decreases the formation of CELs. However, the ability of IFN-beta-1b to reduce the size of CELs arising during therapy has not been extensively investigated.


METHODS
Thirty patients with relapsing-remitting (RR) MS were followed for a 3-month pre-therapy phase then for a 6-month therapy phase during which treatment with IFN-beta-1b at a dosage of 250 microg subcutaneously injected every other day was employed. Each patient underwent monthly clinical and MRI examinations. For all patients, CELs were identified on postcontrast T1-weighted MRIs. CEL number, size, and volume were computed using Medx software.


RESULTS
The average number and total lesion volume of CELs visible during the therapy phase were significantly lower than the number and total lesion volume of CELs observed in the pre-therapy phase. However, there was no significant reduction between pre-therapy and therapy phases in the mean size of individual lesions arising during the respective phases.


CONCLUSIONS
Since size of CELs has been related to severity of tissue damage, the lack of size decrease during therapy suggested a limited therapeutic effect of IFN-beta-1b if a blood-brain barrier breakdown has occurred.
Gaindh
Deeya
D
Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Jeffries
Neal
N
Ohayon
Joan
J
Richert
Nancy D
ND
Pellicano
Clelia
C
Frank
Joseph A
JA
McFarland
Henry
H
Bagnato
Francesca
F
D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D000068576:Interferon beta-1b; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000068576:Interferon beta-1b; D016899:Interferon-beta