title: Effects of Systemic and Local Interferon Beta-1a on Epidural Fibrosis.
abstract: METHODS
  Level 1 randomized controlled study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of systemic and local interferon-beta-1a (IFN-β-1a) on prevention of epidural fibrosis using histopathological parameters.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Epidural fibrosis involves fibroblastic invasion of nerve roots into the epidural space. Formation of dense fibrous tissue causes lumbar and radicular pain. Many surgical techniques and several materials have been proposed in the literature, but no study has assessed the effect of IFN-β-1a on prevention of epidural fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups of eight: sham group, control group, systemic 44 μg IFN-β-1a group and 22 μg IFN-β-1a group (after laminectomy and discectomy, 0.28 mL and 0.14 mL IFN-β-1a applied subcutaneously three times for a week, respectively), local 44 μg IFN-β-1a group (laminectomy and discectomy, followed by 0.28 mL IFN-β-1a on the surgical area), and local 22 μg IFN-β-1a group (laminectomy and discectomy, followed by 0.14 mL IFN-β-1a on the surgical area). All rats were sacrificed after 4 weeks and groups were evaluated histopathologically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with sham and control groups, significantly less epidural fibrosis, dural adhesion, and fibroblast cell density were observed in the local and systemic 44 μg IFN-β-1a groups. No other differences were evident between the local and systemic groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IFN-β-1a is effective in preventing epidural fibrosis with systemic and local application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Uludag University Medical School, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mevlüt Özgür
authors.initials: MÖ
authors.lastname: Taşkapılıoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Uludag University Medical School, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Semra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Işık
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Uludag University Medical School, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Şeref
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Doğan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Uludag University Medical School, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gonca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Özgün
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Uludag University Medical School, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ocakoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Uludag University Medical School, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uğraş
keywords: Fibrosis; Interferon beta-1a; Laminectomy