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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis at 7.0 Tesla
Published on: February 19, 2021
Cytokine changes during interferon-beta therapy in multiple sclerosis: correlations with interferon dose and MRI
Jerome J Graber1, David Ford, Min Zhan
1University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, MD, USA.
Insights
Interferon-beta therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) impacts cytokine levels. Non-responders showed decreased serum IL-10, indicating active disease despite treatment.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system.
- Interferon-beta (IFN-β) is a common treatment for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).
- Cytokine profiles may predict treatment response and disease activity in MS patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare serum and cellular cytokine changes in RRMS patients treated with different IFN-β-1a regimens.
- To investigate the relationship between cytokine profiles and treatment response based on MRI criteria.
Main Methods:
- 15 RRMS patients received either once-weekly intramuscular or three-times-weekly subcutaneous IFN-β-1a for 24 weeks.
- Serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cytokine levels (IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IFN-gamma) were measured.
- Patients were categorized as responders or non-responders based on MRI-defined disease activity.
Main Results:
- IFN-β treatment increased cellular IL-10 and IL-10/IL-12 ratios, while decreasing cellular IFN-gamma.
- Non-responders exhibited decreased serum IL-10 levels and reduced serum IL-10/IL-12p70 ratios.
- Non-responders also showed a decrease in cellular IL-12p70, whereas responders had decreased cellular IFN-gamma.
Conclusions:
- IFN-β therapy alters cytokine profiles in MS patients.
- Decreased serum IL-10 levels in non-responders correlate with persistent MRI-defined disease activity.
- This study provides insights into differential cytokine responses to IFN-β treatment in MS.
Abstract:
We investigated serum (IL-10 and IL-12p70) and cellular cytokine levels (IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IFN-gamma) in stimulated PBMC over 24 weeks in 15 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients randomized to receive once-weekly (qw) IFN-beta-1a 30 microg intramuscularly (IM) (n=8) or three-times-weekly (tiw) IFN-beta-1a 44 microg subcutaneously (SC) (n=7). Overall, IFN-beta treatment increased cellular IL-10 (p<0.01) levels and the ratios of cellular IL-10/IL-12p40 (p<0.01) and IL-10/IL-12p70 (p<0.02) while cellular IFN-gamma levels were reduced (p<0.01). Serum IL-10 levels were decreased in non-responders to therapy based on MRI-defined criteria (p<0.01) but did not change in responders over the course of treatment. In addition, non-responders demonstrated a decrease in serum IL-10/IL-12p70 ratio (p=0.031) and a decrease in cellular IL-12p70 (p<0.02). A decrease in cellular IFN-gamma was observed in responders (p=0.013). This is the first study that compares cytokine changes between the two IFN-beta regimes and demonstrates that serum IL-10 levels decrease in those patients who continue to have active MRI lesions while on interferon-beta therapy.
