Autoimmune events during interferon beta-1b treatment for multiple sclerosis

Autoimmune events, although rarely reported during interferon beta-1b (IFNB ) treatment of relapsing-remitting (RR) multiple sclerosis (MS), may be mor e frequent than expected due to the many immunologic abnormalities associat ed with this disease. We report the prospective two-year follow-up of autoi mmune events in 40 RR MS patients treated with IFNB and in 21 untreated MS controls. Thyroid and liver function and serum level of 12 autoantibodies ( autoAbs) against organ- (thyroid, gastric, pancreatic) and non-organ-specif ic antigens were serially monitored. In contrast to control patients, autoA bs (anti-nuclear, -smooth muscle or -thyroid antigens) were detected in 13 IFNB-treated patients, and these were associated with thyroid or liver func tion alteration in many cases. Persistent autoimmune thyroid dysfunction oc curred in three IFNB-treated patients, all of whom were women with a famili al history of thyroid disease or baseline anti-thyroid autoAb positivity. F or improvement of the MS relapse rate, thyroid dysfunction was adequately t reated without stopping IFNB. Liver function alteration (17 IFNB-treated pa tients, associated with non-organ-specific autoAbs in four) was transient a nd did not require IFNB treatment to be stopped, with the exception of one patient who was already suffering from a drug-induced hepatopathy at baseli ne. During the IFNB treatment of MS, several autoimmune events may occur, i ndicating that thyroid and liver function and autoAbs must be carefully mon itored. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.