MRI brain volume changes in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients treated with interferon beta-1a.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate changes of brain volume as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients under treatment with interferon beta-1a. Moreover, the relationship between brain volume changes and standard MR or clinical outcome variables was determined. After a 6-month pretreatment period, 52 patients with relapsing-remitting MS were assigned to receive interferon beta-1a (Rebif-Serono) during a 24-month treatment period MRI scans were performed monthly during the 6-month pretreatment period and for the first 9 months of the treatment period. A final MRI scan was also performed at the end of the 12- and 24-month treatment period. Over 24 months of IFNbeta-1a treatment, a significant decrease of hyperintense lesion volume was found (-18.0%; p<0.0001) compared to the last pretreatment scan, while T1 hypointense volume showed a slight nonsignificant increase (+2.2%), and brain volume showed a significant decrease (-2.2%; p<0.0001). The mean volume of enhancing lesions over the 6-month pretreatment period was significantly related to absolute (p=0.02; r=-0.32) and per cent change (p=0.03; r=-0.30) of brain volume during 24-month treatment period. No correlations between changes in brain volume and changes in T2 hyperintense volume or T1 hypointense volume were observed. Neither was there a relationship between brain volume and changes of Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) or frequency in clinical relapses. Of the group in whom was detected a significant decrease of brain volume, 13 out of 26 (50%) had a sustained change in EDSS while in the group that did not have a significant decrease of brain volume, only 3 out of 26 (11.5%) had a sustained EDSS change (p=0.02). In this study a decrease of brain volume was found in relapsing-remitting MS patients treated with IFNbeta-1a over 2 years. The only parameter that predicted brain volume decrease by 2 years of IFNbeta-1a treatment was the mean volume of enhancing lesions over the 6-month pretreatment period.