ummary: This study from Italy included two large independent databases of people with relapsing-remitting MS treated with interferon. The first dataset, the “training set”, consisted of 373 people with relapsing-remitting MS, from a randomised clinical trial, who were treated with interferon beta-1a. This dataset was used to develop the new scoring system. A second dataset, the “validation set” included 222 people with relapsing-remitting MS who were treated with different formulations of interferon beta. This dataset was used to validate the new scoring system. They used clinical and MRI measures in combination to assess patients responses to interferon in MS, which was evaluated by Kaplan Meier survival curves and Cox regression, and qualified by hazard ratios.

The score (0-3), was based on the number of new T2 lesions (>5) and clinical relapses during the first year of therapy. The risk of disability progression increased with higher scores. This study shows the use of a simple and quantitative tool for predicting responses in interferon-treated patients that can help make treatment decisions.

authors: Sormani M, Rio J, Tintorè M, Signori A

source: Mult Scler. 2012 Sep 25. [Epub ahead of print]

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