Background: Interferon beta therapy (IFN-β) can induce production of antibodies (NAbs) that may neutralize both therapeutic IFN-β and endogenous IFN-β, potentially impairing antiviral immunity.
Objectives: To investigate whether NAbs against IFN-β occur in multiple sclerosis patients that developed natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (NTZ-PML).
Methods: Seven NTZ-PML patients were matched with natalizumab-treated patients with prior IFN-β exposure. All were tested for NAbs against IFN-β in serum.
Results: NAbs against IFN-β were absent in all NTZ-PML cases, but present in three matched patients.
Conclusions: These findings do not suggest a contributing role for IFN-β NAbs in natalizumab-associated PML.
Keywords: Immunogenicity; Interferon-beta; Multiple sclerosis; Natalizumab; Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.