Gene Expression in MS Patients Before and During Treatment With Interferon-beta

Gene Expression in MS Patients Before and During Treatment With High-dose Interferon Beta: Prospective Study for the Identification of Predicting Factors of Therapeutic Response.

Clinical and experimental evidences suggest that there is a variability in therapeutic response to immunomodulating therapies in Multiple Sclerosis patients.

Microarrays is a technology that permits to monitor the expression levels of thousands of genes at a time.

The specific aim of this study is to identify predictive factors of therapeutic response in MS patients treated with high-dose Interferon-Beta.

Inclusion Criteria:

• diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS (McDonald criteria)
• age between 18-55
• EDSS less or equal to 5.5

Exclusion Criteria:

• use of any other disease modifying drugs
• use of corticosteroids during 3 months before starting protocol
• clinical relapse during 1 month before starting protocol
• serious heart, renal, hepatic or haematological dysfunction defined by laboratory exams