Abstract
Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) has a very fluctuating course and responsiveness to interferon beta (IFN-beta) treatment in each patient is extremely difficult. Agreement exists about the negative role of neutralising antibodies (NAbs) on clinical efficacy and markers of IFN-beta bioavailability have been studied; no guidelines exist yet about what to do when a patient becomes NAbs positive or IFN biological activity is lost. In this study 405 MS patients have been longitudinally studied for NAbs and MxA expression. A spontaneous disappearance of NAbs was observed in a few patients with low antibody titre; according to the clinical course, a therapeutic modification has been made in patients persistently NAbs positive; in these patients NAbs persisted over time despite the interruption of IFN therapy.
Publication types
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Clinical Trial
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Comparative Study
MeSH terms
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Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacokinetics
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Adjuvants, Immunologic / therapeutic use
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Antibodies / blood*
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Antibodies / genetics
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Antibody Formation
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Antibody Specificity
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Biological Availability
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GTP-Binding Proteins / blood*
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GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
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Humans
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Interferon-beta / immunology*
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Interferon-beta / pharmacokinetics
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Interferon-beta / therapeutic use
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Longitudinal Studies
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Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / blood
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Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / diagnosis*
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Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / drug therapy
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Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / immunology*
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Myxovirus Resistance Proteins
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Prognosis
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RNA, Messenger / analysis
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Treatment Outcome
Substances
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Adjuvants, Immunologic
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Antibodies
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MX1 protein, human
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Myxovirus Resistance Proteins
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RNA, Messenger
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Interferon-beta
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GTP-Binding Proteins