title: Similar biological effect of high-dose oral versus intravenous methylprednisolone in multiple sclerosis relapses.
abstract: Our aim was to investigate differences in immune mechanisms in multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse, after high-dose oral methylprednisolone (oMP) or intravenous methylprednisolone (ivMP). We measured serum cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α and IFN-γ) in 39 of 49 MS patients with moderate-severe relapse, whom were treated with ivMP or oMP in a placebo-controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial. We assessed these cytokine levels at baseline and at 1 and 4 weeks post-treatment. The cytokine levels between oMP and ivMP were similar at any time. Proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IFN-γ) were significantly decreased in both groups at week 1 (p = 0.05 / p = 0.03) and at week 4 (p = 0.04 / p = 0.05). This study provides further confirmatory evidence that oMP is not inferior to ivMP.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00753792.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain/Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain laiagrlo@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grau-López
authors.affiliation: Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain/Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teniente-Serra
authors.affiliation: Hospital Vall D' Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tintoré
authors.affiliation: Hospital Vall D' Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rovira
authors.affiliation: Hospital Dr Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramió-Torrenta
authors.affiliation: Hospital Arnau de Vilanova, Lleida, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brieva
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saiz
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Mataró, Mataró, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cano
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Figueres, Figueres, Spain.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.affiliation: Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain/Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Hervás
authors.affiliation: Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain/Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Martínez-Cáceres
authors.affiliation: Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain/Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ramo-Tello
mesh_terms: D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D012008:Recurrence; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D008775:Methylprednisolone
keywords: Clinical trial; cytokines; dosage forms; methylprednisolone; multiple sclerosis; relapses