Title:Clinical and Serological Biomarkers of Treatment’s Response in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Treated Continuously with Interferonβ-1b for More than a Decade
Volume: 17
Issue: 10
Author(s): Laura Iulia Bărcuţean, Andreea Romaniuc*, Smaranda Maier, Zoltan Bajko, Anca Moţăţăianu, Huţanu Adina, Iunius Simu, Sebastian Andone and Rodica Bălaşa
Affiliation:
- First Department of Neurology, Emergency Clinical County Hospital, Targu Mures,Romania
Keywords:
Multiple sclerosis, inflammation, cytokines, interferon β-1b, relapses, evolution, disability.
Abstract: Introduction: We evaluated the peripheral immune panel of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients
treated for more than 10 years with interferon-beta1b (IFNβ-1b) and aimed to identify possible
biomarkers of treatment response.
Material and Methods: Serum samples from 70 MS patients treated with IFNβ-1b more than a decade
were analysed for 15 cytokines, that were correlated with the disability score, annual relapse ratio
(ARR): the total number of relapses-ARR_0, relapse on treatment-ARR_1 and demographic data. Two
groups were defined based on the levels of disability, calculated using the Expanded Disability Status
Scale (EDSS): G1 – recurrent-remissive and G2 – secondary-progressive. Furthermore, we split the
patients based on gender (G1_f, G1_m, G2_f, G2_m).
Results: The ARR was reduced after treatment was instituted. We found positive correlations between
IL_25 and EDSS in G1_f and G2_f, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and ARR_1 and ARR_0 in G1,
and IL_17F with ARR_1. Negative correlations were for IL_25 and ARR_0 and ARR_1. SCD40L intensely
positively correlated with IL_31 in G1 and G2.
Conclusion: After more than a decade of treatment, IFNβ-1b offers good results by reducing relapses
and slowing disability progression. Several biomarkers can be used to assess the patient’s response.
High levels of IL_17 and TNFα will indicate a more active form of the disease. IL-25 may exert a
positive influence in male MS patients and should be considered for future studies, together with the
co-modulation between sCD40L and IL_31. Our method allowed us to screen the peripheral immune
panel and can be used for assessing the peripheral levels of the above-mentioned cytokines.
