title: Interferon-beta-1a treatment has a positive effect on quality of life of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: results from a longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The impact of interferon beta (IFNβ) therapy on a patient's quality of life (QoL) has not been completely clarified. This multicenter, independent, observational and longitudinal study was aimed to evaluate the impact of different pharmaceutical formulations of IFNβ-1a on QoL in patients affected by relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The multiple sclerosis quality of life-54 questionnaire was used to assess patients' QoL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  394 (66%) patients completed the two-year study; 152 were treated with IFNβ-1a i.m. weekly injected (group a), 152 with IFNβ-1a 44 μg s.c. injected three times a week (group b) and 90 were untreated (group c). After two years, a significant increase was found in the physical health composite score (Δ = +3.1 in group a, Δ = +3 in group b, p < 0.05 in both), mental health composite score (Δ = +4.7 in group a, Δ = +5.5 in group b, p < 0.001 in both), in eight MSQoL sub-items of group a and in seven sub-items in group b. Conversely, the untreated group showed a slight decrease in seven domains. The variable "therapy with DMDs" was associated with improved QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  QoL of RRMS could be improved by IFNβ-1a treatment, despite natural history data which seem to demonstrate that QoL could get worse over the time.
authors.affiliation: Department DANA GF Ingrassia, Neurosciences Section, Multiple Sclerosis Centre, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. Electronic address: patti@unict.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Patti
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, S. Marta & S. Venera Hospital, Acireale, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pappalardo
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Unit of Neurology, Fidenza- S. Secondo Hospital, Fidenza, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montanari
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Unit of Neurology, Fidenza- S. Secondo Hospital, Fidenza, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pesci
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Centre, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barletta
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Centre, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pozzilli
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000068556:Interferon beta-1a; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016899:Interferon-beta; D000068556:Interferon beta-1a
keywords: EDSS; Interferon beta-1a; MSQoL-54; Multiple sclerosis; Quality of life; Relapse