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Gender effects on treatment response to interferon‐beta in multiple sclerosis
Author(s) -
Magyari M.,
KochHenriksen N.,
Laursen B.,
Sørensen P. S.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/ane.12277
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , interferon beta , beta (programming language) , medicine , interferon beta 1b , interferon , immunology , computer science , programming language
Background Gender appears to play a role in incidence and disease course of multiple sclerosis ( MS ). Objective The objective was to determine whether male and female patients with MS respond differently to interferon‐beta treatment in terms of reduction in relapse rates. Methods We included all 2033 patients with relapsing–remitting MS who started treatment with interferon‐beta from 1996 to 2003, identified from the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Register. We defined neutralizing antibody ( NA b)‐positive and NA b‐negative periods in the single patient by the results of the NA b tests. Patients served as their own controls, and relapse rates were compared between NA b‐negative and NA b‐positive periods. Results NA bs significantly abrogated the interferon‐beta treatment efficacy in both genders. The all‐over women:men relapse rate ratio irrespective of NA b status was 1.47 (95% CI ; 1.28–1.68). In a generalized linear Poisson models analysis with relapse counts as response variable, the main effects NA bs, sex, age at treatment start and number of relapses in 2 years before treatment start were strongly significant, but the effect of NA bs on relapse rates did not differ significantly between men and women. Conclusion As NA bs influenced the on‐treatment relapse rates strongly in both sexes but without statistical significant difference, there is no indication of different effects of interferon‐beta in men or women.