NO EVIDENCE FOR INCREASED FREQUENCY OF AUTOANTIBODIES DURING INTERFERON-BETA(1B) TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

Interferon-beta(1b) (IFN-beta(1b)) is a widespread therapy of multiple sclerosis (MS). reducing the numbers and severity of exacerbations an d the total lesion load measured by magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Since IFN-beta(1b) has potent immunomodulatory properties, a po tential side-effect of IFN-beta(1b) treatment could be the development of autoimmune responses. The frequencies of antinuclear and smooth mu scle antibodies, antibodies against microsomal antigen of thyroid epit helial cells as well as a group of heterophilic antibodies were determ ined in 26 MS patients treated with IFN-beta(1b) for 3-20 months. No e levation of antibody titres was found for any of the antibodies studie d when compared with paired samples obtained from most of the patients before the initiation of treatment. Although examined on a rather sma ll group of patients. the results show no evidence of increased freque ncy of autoantibodies during interferon-beta(1b) treatment of multiple sclerosis.