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In the article "Response to Interferon Beta-1a Treatment in African American Multiple Sclerosis Patients," the authors¹ suggest that African Americans (AAs) are less responsive to interferon beta-1a than white Americans (WAs), paralleling an earlier publication² that showed a more rapid progression of multiple sclerosis in AA patients. Their conclusions have implications for further study, but their data raise several questions.

The EVIDENCE³ trial showed a better response for thrice weekly than for once weekly treatment with interferon beta-1a. Because only 36% of their AAs were treated thrice weekly compared with 51% of the WAs, might one expect the AA group to have a reduced response because of this difference?

Is the greater increase in mean number of exacerbations and mean number of new lesions in AAs evidence of a reduced response? In this small AA group, a very few outliers could skew the mean. If increases from week 24 to . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Fredric K. Cantor, MD

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