Effects of combination therapy of beta-interferon Ia and prednisone on serum immunologic markers in patients with multiple sclerosis

• Published in: Multiple sclerosis 2003-02, Vol.9 (1), p.28-31
• Main Authors: Salama, H H, Kolar, O J, Zang, YCQ, Zhang, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1352-4585
• DOI: 10.1191/1352458503ms865oa

Beta-interferon (beta-IFN) has a proven treatment effect on relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), presumably through its regulatory properties on T-cell activation and cytokine production. This paper examines whether combination therapy of beta-IFN with prednisone would enhance immunoregulatory effects of beta-IFN by measuring serum levels of selected proinflammatory cytokines and soluble T-cell activation markers associated with MS. The selected markers were analyzed in MS patients treated with beta-IFN alone (n = 22) and beta-IFN combined with a low daily dose of prednisone (n = 33), as compared with those in 27 healthy controls at baseline and at a three-month interval for one year. The study confirmed that beta-IFN treatment inhibited serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha ) and intracellular adhesion molecule-I (ICAM-I) in patients with MS. However, combination therapy did not significantly enhance the inhibitory effect of beta-IFN treatment on the production of TNF alpha , interleukin (IL)-12, IL-2R, and ICAM-I, while the addition of prednisone antagonized the effect of beta-IFN on up-regulation of IL-10 and soluble CD95. No difference in the occurrence of binding antibodies to beta-IFN was found between the two treatment groups. The findings are important for the understanding of the role of combination therapy in the treatment of MS.