ASSESSMENTS OF EXPANDED DISABILITY STATUS SCORE DURING BETA-INTERFERON THERAPY

INTRODUCTION: Beta-interferon treatment reduces number of relapses and probably slows down progression of remitting-relapsing multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The study objective was to compare functional status of RRMS patients on beta-interferon therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients (9 males and 11 females ; 35, 75+/-8, 25 years (mean+/-SD age) with RRMS were treated with beta-interferon at University Department of Neurology, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital: 7 patients were treated with interferon beta 1b (9, 6 MIU every other day) and 13 patients were treated with interferon beta 1a (6 MIU 3 times weekly). Kurtzke's Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) was recorded at baseline and six months after initiation of beta-interferon therapy. RESULTS: In interferon beta 1a group average EDSS score before therapy was 3.00 and after six months of therapy it decreased to 2, 92. In interferon beta 1b group average EDSS was 3.07 before therapy and decreased to 3, 00 after six month of treatment The average EDSS score was slightly smaller after six months of beta-interferon treatment in both groups, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.17 in interferon beta 1a group ; p=0.36 in interferon beta 1b group). There was no statistically significant difference in EDSS score in all patients before and six months after interferon therapy (p=0.083). CONCLUSION: Results of this study, in small group of RRMS patients showed only slight benefit of beta-interferon therapy. However, further research involving larger number of patients is required to get additional information about functional status of multiple sclerosis patients treated with beta-interferon.