ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to investigate frequency and presentation of clinical thyroid dysfunction in patients treated with interferon beta (IFN-beta). We have collected the cases of clinical thyroid dysfunction in 700 consecutive patients receiving IFN-beta for multiple sclerosis (MS). Five patients (four women, one man) treated with IFN-beta1b developed hyperthyroidism. Three of them have secondary progressive MS, and two have relapsing-remitting MS. It was necessary to stop IFN-beta in three cases; these patients still require carbimazole after several months. In the two other cases, hyperthyroidism disappeared spontaneously. Two patients (one man and one woman) treated with IFN-beta1a developed hypothyroidism. One of them required l-thyroxine. Lastly, an increased thyroid volume without modification of thyroid hormones plasma levels was discovered in a patient receiving IFN-beta1a. Among patients treated with IFN-beta, clinical thyroid dysfunction is much rarer than laboratory thyroid dysfunction. However, this side-effect is sometimes severe.
Subject(s)
Interferon-beta/adverse effects , Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive/complications , Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting/complications , Thyroid Diseases/chemically induced , Adult , Antithyroid Agents/therapeutic use , Female , Goiter/chemically induced , Goiter/complications , Goiter/drug therapy , Humans , Hyperthyroidism/chemically induced , Hyperthyroidism/complications , Hyperthyroidism/drug therapy , Hypothyroidism/chemically induced , Hypothyroidism/complications , Hypothyroidism/drug therapy , Interferon beta-1a , Interferon beta-1b , Male , Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive/drug therapy , Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting/drug therapy , Thyroid Diseases/complications , Thyroid Diseases/diagnosis , Thyroxine/therapeutic useABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Numerous data argue for initiating treatment with interferon-beta (IFN-beta) at an early stage in multiple sderosis (MS). The consequences of its use may negatively influence the MS patient's quality of life (QoL). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the QoL of MS patients before and after a one-year period of treatment with IFN-beta1a (Avonex). PATIENTS AND METHODS: QoL was assessed using the SF-36 in 121 relapsing-remitting MS patients. We compared QoL before and after treatment and with data from a normal population. We also studied the possible influence of disease progression on the SF-36 scores. RESULTS: One hundred six patients completed the study (87%). Compared to a normal population, patients were, at baseline, worse off for all QoL scales, varying from a minimum decrease of 0.73 SD in mental health, to a maximum decrease of 1.55 SD in general health. After treatment, we found no significant changes in any of the QoL scores, except for physical function, where we noted a slight but significant decrease (p = 0.03). Furthermore, there was no significant change either in the physical component summary (PCS) or mental component summary (MCS). The 'reported health transition' item was significantly improved compared to baseline (p = 0.001). At indusion, significant correlations were found between EDSS scores and scores of physical function (p < 0.001), role - physical (p < 0.01), general health and social function (both p < 0.01), and with the PCS (p < 0.01). Patients with dinical relapses and/or disability progression had a more significant decease in physical function (p < 0.05) and also in social function (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The QoL, assessed by the SF-36 scale, is correlated with disability in MS. IFN-beta1a treatment (Avonex) has no negative effect on MS patient's QoL.
Subject(s)
Adjuvants, Immunologic/therapeutic use , Interferon-beta/therapeutic use , Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting/drug therapy , Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting/physiopathology , Quality of Life , Adult , Disability Evaluation , Disease Progression , Female , Humans , Interferon beta-1a , Male , Middle Aged , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Symptoms of fluctuating dystonia developed in 4 subjects of the same family during childhood or adolescence. In the 2 sisters, these symptoms were initially or subsequently associated with signs of parkinsonism, whereas in the 2 brothers they disappeared, spontaneously in at least 1 case, and signs of parkinsonism appeared later after a free interval. Anticholinergic agents and L-Dopa proved very effective against all extrapyramidal signs. These cases are similar to those gathered by Nygaard et al. in 1988 under the term "Dopa-responsive dystonia". Yet laboratory data seem to confirm that the common physiological mechanism is a disorder of tetrahydrobiopterin metabolism. Serum and urinary biopterin levels were lowered in our 4 cases but were normal in an unaffected sister. However, like the subjects affected this third sister showed a decrease of platelet serotonin which was taken as being a consequence of aromatic aminoacid hydroxylation defect due to tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency.
