Abstract
The authors performed a longitudinal evaluation of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, during 1 year of therapy with interferon-beta (IFN-beta), by clinical examination and detection of presence in the blood and viral load of MS-associated retrovirus (MSRV), by MSRVenv-specific, fully quantitative, real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). MSRV load in the blood was directly related to MS duration and fell below detection limits within 3 months of IFN therapy; one patient had strong progression, accompanied by total MSRV rescue. These findings suggest that evaluation of plasmatic MSRV could be considered the first prognostic marker for the individual patient, to monitor disease progression and therapy outcome.
Publication types
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Evaluation Study
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
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Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
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Biomarkers
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Disease Progression
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Endogenous Retroviruses / classification
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Endogenous Retroviruses / drug effects*
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Endogenous Retroviruses / isolation & purification
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Female
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Follow-Up Studies
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Humans
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Immunologic Factors / pharmacology
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Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use*
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Interferon beta-1a
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Interferon beta-1b
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Interferon-beta / pharmacology
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Interferon-beta / therapeutic use*
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / blood
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Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / drug therapy*
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Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / virology
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Prognosis
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Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Treatment Outcome
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Viral Load
Substances
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Antiviral Agents
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Biomarkers
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Immunologic Factors
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Interferon beta-1b
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Interferon-beta
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Interferon beta-1a