BACKGROUND Several questions arise concerning the use of the anti-CD25 antibody daclizumab to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). OBJECTIVES To answer the following 3 questions related to the efficacy of daclizumab therapy in patients with MS: Is the therapeutic effect of daclizumab dependent on combination with interferon beta? Is a higher dosage of daclizumab more efficacious in patients with pe...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system which is accompanied by considerable disability and high costs. This report summarises the evidence on effectiveness and costs of beta-interferons and natalizumab in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.The review included systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials (with an observation time of at lea...

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide and some cytokines can activate macrophages to secrete nitric oxide. Macrophage-derived nitric oxide is a key cytotoxic factor for microbicidal and tumoricidal processes. We report here that a monoclonal antibody specific for beta interferon inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in thioglycolate-elicited C3HeB/FeJ peritoneal macrophages and ma...

UNLABELLED Since 1993 the Federal Drug Administration approved the use of immunomodulatory therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS), modifying the natural course of disease, as demonstrate our experience in treatment of MS patients at the MS Treatment Center (CATEM). OBJECTIVE To evaluate patient behavior using immunomodulatory therapy for a period of five years treatment. METHOD We selected 390 ...

OBJECTIVES To confirm that neutralizing antibodies (NAb) to interferon beta can persist after therapy withdrawal and to evaluate whether persisting NAb are associated with a worse clinical disease course in multiple sclerosis (MS). DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Tertiary referral center in The Netherlands. PATIENTS A total of 71 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis tr...

BACKGROUND Within the past 10 years, several immunomodulatory agents (IMAs) have become available for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), making therapeutic decisions more complex. We performed a systematic review of the literature to assess the efficacy and safety of these agents on physical, inflammatory, and cognitive measures of disease activity. METHODS We identified rele...

BACKGROUND Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) are advised to discontinue interferon-beta therapy before trying to conceive. Unplanned pregnancies occur and risks related to exposure remain unclear. METHODS To determine pregnancy outcomes following interferon-beta therapy, we examined pregnancies from a global drug safety database containing individual case safety reports received in the post-...