Development of Autoimmune Thyroid Disease in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Post-Alemtuzumab Improves Treatment Response

Alemtuzumab is an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Between 20% and 40% of alemtuzumab-treated MS patients develop autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) as a side effect.

The objective of this work is to determine whether MS disease progression following alemtuzumab treatment differs in patients who develop AITD compared to those who do not.

A retrospective analysis of 126 patients with relapsing-remitting MS receiving alemtuzumab from 2012 to 2017 was conducted at a tertiary referral center.

Thyroid status, new relapses, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score change, and disability progression following alemtuzumab were evaluated.

Twenty-six percent (33 out of 126, 25 female, 8 male) of alemtuzumab-treated patients developed AITD, 55% of which was Graves disease. EDSS score following alemtuzumab was reduced in patients who developed AITD compared to those who did not (median [interquartile range]; AITD: -0.25 [-1 to 0.5] vs non-AITD: 0 [1-0]. P = .007]. Multivariable regression analysis confirmed that the development of AITD was independently associated with EDSS score improvement (P = .011). Moreover, AITD patients had higher relapse-free survival following alemtuzumab (P = .023). There was no difference in the number of new focal T2 lesions and contrast-enhancing magnetic resonance imaging lesions developed following alemtuzumab between the 2 groups.

Graves disease was the most common form of AITD developed by MS patients following alemtuzumab. This study suggests that MS patients who develop AITD may have an improved response to alemtuzumab, as measured by reduced disability and lower relapse rate.