(Press-News.org) A study by Hans-Peter Hartung, M.D., of Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldoft, Germany, and colleagues examines the association between IL-17F and treatment response to interferon beta-1b among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. (Online First)
Serum samples were analyzed with an immunoassay from 239 randomly selected patients treated with interferon beta-1b, 250 micrograms, for at least 2 years in the Betaferon Efficacy Yielding Outcomes of a New Dose Study. Researchers measured the levels of IL-17F at baseline and month 6, as well as the difference between the IL-17F levels at month 6 and baseline were compared between: (1) patients with less disease activity versus more disease activity; (2) patients with no disease activity versus some disease activity; and (3) responders versus nonresponders.
According to study results, levels of IL-17F measured at baseline and month 6 did not correlate with lack of response to treatment after 2 years using clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria. Relapses and new lesions on MRI were not associated with pretreatment serum IL-17F levels. When patients with neutralizing antibodies were excluded, the results did not change.
"We found that serum concentrations of IL-17F alone did not predict response to interferon beta-1b therapy in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis." The study concludes, "Given the multifaceted pathophysiology associated with disease progression and response to treatment by patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, using extreme patient cohorts in combination with immune-based biomarker signatures may actually be the most efficient way of initially identifying response markers."
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(JAMA Neurol. Published online June 3, 2013. doi:10.1001/.jamaneurol.2013.192. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)
Editor's Note: Please see the articles for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
Interleukin 17F level and interferon beta response in patients with multiple sclerosis
2013-06-04
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