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Magnetic resonance studies of intramuscular interferon β–1a for relapsing multiple sclerosis
Author(s) -
Simon Jack H.,
Jacobs Lawrence D.,
Campion Marilyn,
Wende Karl,
Simonian Nancy,
Cookfair Diane L.,
Rudick Richard A.,
Herndon Robert M.,
Richert John R.,
Salazar Andres M.,
Alam John J.,
Fischer Jill S.,
Goodkin Donald E.,
Granger Carl V.,
Lajaunie Michelle,
MartensDavidson Anna L.,
Meyer Maryjoel,
Sheeder Jeanelle,
Choi Kim,
Scherzinger Ann L.,
Bartoszak David M.,
Bourdette Dennis N.,
Braiman Jonathan,
Brownscheidle Carol M.,
Coats Michael E.,
Cohan Stanley L.,
Dougherty David S.,
Kinkel Revere P.,
Mass Michele K.,
Munschauer Fredrick E.,
Priore Scd Roger L.,
Pullicino Patrick M.,
Scherokman Barbara J.,
WeinstockGuttman Bianca,
Whitham Ruth H.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410430114
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , placebo , interferon beta 1a , lesion , intramuscular injection , clinical trial , gastroenterology , randomized controlled trial , nuclear medicine , surgery , pathology , interferon beta , radiology , immunology , alternative medicine
The Multiple Sclerosis Collaborative Research Group trial was a double‐blind, randomized, multicenter, phase III, placebocontrolled study of interferon α‐1a (IFNβ‐1a; AVONEX) in relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. Initial magnetic resonance imaging results have been published; this report provides additional results. Treatment with IFNβ‐1a, 30 μg once weekly by intramuscular injection, resulted in a significant decrease in the number of new, enlarging, and new plus enlarging T2 lesions over 2 years. The median increase in T2 lesion volume in placebo and IFNβ‐1a patients was 455 and 152 mm 3 , respectively, at 1 year and 1,410 and 628 mm 3 at 2 years, although the treatment group differences did not reach statistical significance. For active patients, defined as those with gadolinium enhancement at baseline, the median change in T2 lesion volume in placebo and IFNβ‐1a patients was 1,578 and −12 mm 3 and 2,980 and 1,285 mm 3 at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Except for a minimal correlation of 0.30 between relapse rate and the number of gadolinium‐enhanced lesions, correlations between MR and clinical measures at baseline and throughout the study were in general poor. Once weekly intramuscular IFNβ‐1a appears to impede the development of multiple sclerosis lesions at an early stage and has a favorable impact on the long‐term sequelae of these inflammatory events as indicated by the slowed accumulation of T2 lesions.