INTRODUCTION Rare cases of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), manifested as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) or hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), have been reported with interferon β products. We performed a cumulative review of TMA cases recorded in a Global Safety Database for patients with multiple sclerosis who received subcutaneous interferon β-1a treatment. METHODS Search criteri...

In Brazil, inclusion and exclusion of health technologies within the Unified Health System (SUS) is the responsibility of the National Committee for Health Technology Incorporation (CONITEC). A recent Cochrane systematic review demonstrated that intramuscular interferon beta 1a (IFN-β-1a-IM) was inferior to the other beta interferons (IFN-βs) for multiple sclerosis (MS). As a result, CONITEC co...

OBJECTIVE Early treatment following a first clinical demyelinating event (FCDE) delays further disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This study determined the effects of early versus delayed treatment (DT) with subcutaneous interferon (sc IFN) β-1a 44 μg in patients with an FCDE up to 60 months postrandomisation. METHODS Patients who completed the 24-month double-blind RE...

BACKGROUND Premature discontinuation and poor treatment adherence are problems in chronic conditions, such as multiple sclerosis in which patients must take long-term treatment in order to receive maximum benefit from their medication. The Assessing needs In Multiple Sclerosis (AIMS) study explored factors related to premature treatment discontinuation and patients' experiences of subcutaneous ...

during antigen capture and processing, mature dendritic cells (dc) express large amounts of peptide-mhc complexes and accessory molecules on their surface. we investigated the role of ifn-β in induction hla-g expression on the monocyte derived dc and cytokine profile in diabetes type 1. we accomplished secretary pattern and total cytokine production of the th1 cytokine (il-2, γifn) and th2 cyto...

Depression and suicide have been reported in association with multiple sclerosis (MS). Some studies show that interferon beta may increase the depression rate. We report a case of depression and suicidal ideation in coincidence with the start of increased doses of interferon beta-1a and their complete reversal following the drug withdrawal. The patient was a 21-year-old man with MS and no past ...

BACKGROUND Poor adherence to disease-modifying drugs is associated with an increased risk of relapse in patients with multiple sclerosis. However, adherence is difficult to assess objectively. RebiSmart(®) (Merck Serono SA, Geneva, Switzerland), a device for subcutaneous (sc) injection of interferon (IFN) β-1a, features an electronic injection log that can assist in objective monitoring of adhe...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disorder, in which neurons in central nervous system (CNS) become demyelinated .MS is named for its formation of plaques due to sclerosis of myelin. Variable degree of demyelination results in mild, mediate or severe symptomatic episodes of this disease. It is commonly characterized by recurrent relapses and often followed by severe neurological disabi...