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Systemic Recombinant -2Interferon Therapy in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

David L. Camenga, MD; Kenneth P. Johnson,, MD; Milton Alter, MD; Charles D. Engelhardt, MD; Paul S. Fishman, MD; Jeffrey I. Greenstein, MD; Andrea Sue Haley, RN; Robert L. Hirsch, PhD; Judith E. Kleiner, RN; Vincent Y. Kofie, PhD; Carol Lee Koski, MD; Sheldon L. Margulies, MD; Hillel S. Panitch, MD; Reuben Valero, MD

Arch Neurol. 1986;43(12):1238-1246.

Abstract
•This report describes the first use of recombinant-DNA-produced human interferon in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Ninety-eight patients who were clinically definite for MS with two or more documented exacerbations during the preceding two years were admitted to this placebo-controlled double-blind randomized trial. Although both groups were similar, placebo patients had later MS onset. Patients injected themselves with 2 X 10⁶ lU of -2interferon or placebo three times each week for up to 52 weeks. This dose of interferon was well tolerated in that side effects were minimal. During the trial, the exacerbation rate was sharply reduced in both groups. In the three-month follow-up period after stopping treatment, more patients who were receiving interferon than placebo became worse neurologically. More patients who were receiving interferon than placebo changed from exacerbating MS to progressive MS during the trial. Thus, no clear therapeutic benefit of -2 interferon for MS was detected.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Neurology and the Maryland Center for Multiple Sclerosis Research and Treatment (Drs Camenga, Johnson, Engelhardt, Fishman, Hirsch, Koski, Margulies, and Panitch and Ms Haley), University of Maryland Medical System, Baltimore; the Department of Neurology (Drs Alter and Greenstein and Ms Kleiner), Temple University School of Medicine and Hospital, Philadelphia; Information Resources, Management Division, University of Maryland at Baltimore (Dr Kofie); and Schering Corp, Kenilworth, NJ (Dr Valero).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Aug 12, 1986.

Read in part before the 13th World Congress of Neurology, Hamburg, West Germany.

Reprint requests to the Department of Neurology, University of Maryland Medical Systems, 22S Greene St, Baltimore, MD 21201 (Dr Camenga).

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