Background: Interferon-beta (IFN-β) still plays a fundamental role in immunomodulation of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) with low disease activity and in clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). In 2014, pegylated (PEG) interferon was licensed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), enabling a lower dosing frequency.
Objectives: Our retrospective study compares laboratory findings and adverse events between subcutaneous (sc.) PEG-IFN-β-1a and IFN-β-1a in RRMS and CIS patients.
Design: Patients with CIS or RRMS fulfilling the revised McDonald criteria from 2017 visiting the neurology department of the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz from 2010 to 2019 and treated with sc. PEG-IFN-β-1a or sc. IFN-β-1a (n = 202) were screened for eligibility. Patients who underwent regular laboratory controls in-house were included in our analysis (n = 128).
Methods: We evaluate disease progression through clinical examination, relapse history, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disease activity (gadolinium-enhancing or new T2 lesions). Relevant laboratory findings such as leukopenia (leukocyte count < 3.5/nl) and neutropenia (neutrophil count <43% of lymphocytes or <1500/µl) were assessed. Telephone interviews evaluated the side effects of the respective medication. A subgroup of patients was analyzed regarding neutrophil quantities and qualities.
Results: Patients treated with sc. PEG-IFN-β-1a had significantly lower leukocyte counts (p = 0.046) and higher incidences of leukopenia (p = 0.006) and neutropenia (p = 0.03) compared to sc. IFN-β-1a. Clinical and MRI disease activity showed no significant differences, but people treated with sc. PEG-IFN-β-1a reported more common adverse events such as joint/muscle pain, injection-site reaction, and infections. No serious adverse events were reported.
Conclusion: Treatment with sc. PEG-IFN-β-1a compared to unpegylated sc. IFN-β resulted in a significantly greater reduction in leukocyte and neutrophil levels with a higher incidence of side effects. We suggest mandatory monitoring of differential blood counts before and during treatment.
Keywords: interferon; leukopenia; multiple sclerosis; neutropenia; risk factors; safety.
Possible risk factors for the occurrence of leukopenia in patients with multiple sclerosis treated with interferon beta In our study, we compared two medications used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS): pegylated interferon-beta-1a (PEG-IFN-beta-1a) and interferon-beta-1a (IFN-beta-1a). The pegylated form needs to be taken less often. We looked at patients’ medical history, physical exams, lab results, and MRI scans to see how these drugs affected them. We also asked about side effects during phone interviews. We found that PEG-IFN-beta-1a caused lower levels of certain blood cells, like leukocytes, and more side effects such as skin rashes and infections compared to IFN-beta-1a. However, there were no differences in disease activity as seen in clinical exams and MRI scans. We recommend regular blood tests for patients using these medications to monitor their health.
© The Author(s), 2024.