title: Brain Volume Loss During the First Year of Interferon-Beta Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis: Baseline Inflammation and Regional Brain Volume Dynamics.
abstract: A pseudoatrophy effect, mostly affecting white matter, can be observed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) early on natalizumab therapy. We aimed to investigate whether a similar pattern could be found after interferon-beta treatment onset.
  
  
  
  From a prospective, ongoing cohort, 123 patients treated with interferon-beta were included. A brain MRI was performed at baseline (3 months prior) and 12 months after therapy onset in all patients. SPM8 software was used for volumetric analysis. Brain parenchymal, gray and white matter volumes at baseline and follow-up were obtained, allowing calculation of percentage of volume changes (BVc, GMVc, and WMVc, respectively). Descriptive statistics and linear regression models were performed.
  
  
  
  Eighty-four patients were analyzed (39 patients were excluded mostly due to incomplete MRI protocol or segmentation errors); baseline mean age was 33.6 years (SD 8.7), median disease duration was 2.8 years (.3-14), and median EDSS was 1.5 (0-6). Forty-nine patients (58.3%) had baseline gadolinium-enhancing (Gd+) lesions with a median number of 1 (0-18). The regression analysis (adjusted by the number of Gd+ at follow-up MRI, age, disease duration, and baseline EDSS) showed that a higher baseline number of Gd+ lesions was predictive of larger decreases in BVc and WMVc (P = .013 and P = .003, respectively) but not GMVc (P = .777).
  
  
  
  Concurrent inflammation has an impact on brain volume measurements (especially white matter) during the first year of interferon-beta therapy, and should be taken into account when interpreting early brain volume changes on therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology-Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vidal-Jordana
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology-Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sastre-Garriga
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology-Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez-Miralles
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance Unit, Radiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pareto
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology-Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rio
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance Unit, Radiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Auger
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology-Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tintoré
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance Unit, Radiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rovira
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology-Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia (Cemcat), Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Montalban
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016899:Interferon-beta
keywords: Multiple sclerosis; brain atrophy; interferon treatment; pseudoatrophy