AIM Subcutaneous (s.c.) peginterferon beta-1a injected once every 2 weeks and s.c. interferon beta-1a injected three times per week (Rebif®) have demonstrated efficacy in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, but direct comparisons of pharmacological activity and tolerability between the two products are lacking. COMPARE was an open label, crossover, pharmacokinetic (PK) study evaluating drug...

BACKGROUND Few studies have evaluated long-term efficacy of interferon beta-1a in large community-based cohorts. OBJECTIVE Evaluate time to relapse, relapse rate, and disability progression in patients treated with intramuscular interferon beta-1a. METHODS A retrospective review of medical records from 2000-2010 was performed. Adult patients with relapsing-remitting MS or clinically isolate...

BACKGROUND There are no data on neutralising antibodies to interferon-beta and its clinical implications in Chinese patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of neutralising antibodies among Chinese patients with relapsing MS receiving interferon-beta (1a or 1b) and to study the association between neutralising antibodies...

AIM The purpose of this trial was to investigate the effect of a well known immunomodulator -interferon beta- on traumatized spinal cord in terms of biochemical and histopathological features. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-four rats were used in this trial. The rats were divided into 3 groups. In the first group of rats, spinal cord injury was created by the weight drop method a...

OBJECTIVE To describe a patient with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) whose aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody levels increased following treatment with interferon beta. DESIGN Prospective clinical and laboratory case report. SETTING Institutional referral center for multiple sclerosis (MS). Patient One patient with an initial diagnosis of MS that was later revised to NMO. INTERVENTIONS A course of in...

Five recombinant alpha interferons and two recombinant beta interferons have been tested for their ability to inhibit yields of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 and human cytomegalovirus in human embryonic lung cells. All of the alpha species and both of the beta forms (cysteine and serine) were active against the herpesviruses tested in this study. Neither the recombinant alpha nor the recom...

In cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, the baseline mRNA and protein levels of an inducible type of nitric oxide synthase were barely detectable. Interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1 beta each markedly increased mRNA and protein levels of this enzyme in parallel with the production of nitrite, a stable oxidative metabolite of nitric oxide. Actinomycin D abolished ...

None of the approved immunomodulatory drugs in adults Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients have been officially approved for the pediatric patients and are currently used off-label in this population. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness and tolerability of intramuscular interferon beta1-a (Avonex(®)) and subcutaneously injected interferon beta1-b (Betaferon(®)) in children with definite r...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether interferon therapy during human pregnancy increases reproductive risks in women. METHODS This longitudinal, controlled cohort study consisted of three groups of women: an exposed group, a disease matched unexposed group, and a healthy comparative group. Subjects were selected from women contacting the Motherisk Program regarding maternal beta interferon exposure...

BACKGROUND Alemtuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets CD52 on lymphocytes and monocytes, may be an effective treatment for early multiple sclerosis. METHODS In this phase 2, randomized, blinded trial involving previously untreated, early, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, we assigned 334 patients with scores of 3.0 or less on the Expanded Disability Status Scale and a dis...