Immunological effects of in vivo interferon-beta(1b) treatment in ten patients with multiple sclerosis: a 1-year follow-up

Ten patients with multiple sclerosis and treated with interferon-beta(1b) ( IFN-beta(1b)) were followed-up for 1 year with quantitation of serum VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 levels, mean fluorescence intensity of HLA-DR, VLA-4, CD11a, an d CD18 on peripheral blood monocytes and lymphocytes, and adhesion of perip heral blood monocytes and CD45(+) cells on endothelial cell monolayers. Adh esion molecule expression and adhesion of peripheral blood monocytes to end othelium were also monitored in healthy controls. No differences in adhesio n were detected between MS patients before treatment and healthy controls, while after 1 year a marked decrease in the number of monocytes and mononuc lear cells adhering to human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers was observed in patients treated with IFN-beta(1b). After 1 year of treatment a significant increase in HLA-DR on peripheral blood monocytes was also det ected. Our findings regarding lowered adhesion add information to available evidence of the mechanisms of action of IFN-beta(1b) in MS.