BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is a well-recognized symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) that can manifest early in the disease course. Deficits in cognitive function can have a major impact on daily life. However, cognitive decline is often under-examined in clinical trials and clinical practice due to lack of adequate data. The objective of this study was to examine the longitudinal effect of ocrelizumab vs interferon beta (IFNβ)-1a on cognitive impairment in 2 phase 3 studies in relapsing MS (RMS). METHODS: The pooled population of participants with RMS (n = 1656) from the OPERA I/II clinical trials received subcutaneous IFNβ-1a (44 μg; n = 829) 3 times weekly or intravenous ocrelizumab (600 mg; n = 827) every 24 weeks. Cognition was assessed with a Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), administered in written or oral form according to each site investigator's choice, that primarily measured cognitive processing speed at baseline and every 12 weeks until the end of the double-blind treatment (96 weeks). Treatment effects were investigated based on longitudinal linear models for the change from baseline in SDMT and Cox regression for the time to 12- or 24-week confirmed decline of ≥4 points. RESULTS: Among the participants with an SDMT assessment at baseline and ≥1 postbaseline time point (IFNβ-1a, n = 749; ocrelizumab, n = 766), ocrelizumab treatment was associated with a greater mean SDMT improvement over 96 weeks than IFNβ-1a treatment (5.4 [95 % CI, 4.4-6.5] vs 4.0 [95 % CI, 3.0-5.1]; adjusted mean difference, 1.4 [95 % CI, 0.05-2.72]; P = 0.042). The risk of a clinically meaningful SDMT decline (≥4 points) was lower for those treated with ocrelizumab for both ≥12 weeks (IFNβ-1a, 18.4 %; ocrelizumab, 12.7 %; hazard ratio, 0.63 [95 % CI, 0.47-0.85]; P = 0.003) and ≥24 weeks (IFNβ-1a, 12.9 %; ocrelizumab, 7.9 %; HR, 0.57 [95 % CI, 0.39-0.82]; P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Ocrelizumab treatment resulted in better cognitive outcomes as measured by SDMT in participants with RMS compared with IFNβ-1a treatment. However, methodological limitations need to be considered when interpreting these data. CLINICALTRIALS: gov: NCT01247324, NCT01412333.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Double-Blind Method MeSH
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized * administration & dosage   pharmacology   adverse effects   MeSH
• Immunologic Factors * administration & dosage   adverse effects   pharmacology   MeSH
• Interferon beta-1a * administration & dosage   pharmacology   MeSH
• Cognitive Dysfunction etiology   drug therapy   chemically induced   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Longitudinal Studies MeSH
• Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting * drug therapy   MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Clinical Trial, Phase II MeSH
• Clinical Trial, Phase III MeSH
• Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may demonstrate better disease control when treatment is initiated on high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) from onset. This subgroup analysis assessed the long-term efficacy and safety profile of the high-efficacy DMT ocrelizumab (OCR) as first-line therapy for early-stage relapsing MS (RMS). METHODS: Post hoc exploratory analyses of efficacy and safety were performed in a subgroup of treatment-naive patients with RMS who received ≥1 dose of OCR in the multicenter OPERA I/II (NCT01247324/NCT01412333) studies. Patients were randomized to OCR or interferon β-1a for 96 weeks (double-blind controlled treatment period [DBP]), before switching to OCR in the open-label extension (OLE). Efficacy assessments included no evidence of disease activity (NEDA-3), 24-week confirmed disability progression (CDP), MRI lesion activity, change in whole-brain volume; with safety outcomes assessed over a 9-year treatment period. RESULTS: Overall, 757 patients were included (interferon-treated n = 382, mean age 36.3 years, 65.7% female; OCR-treated n = 375, mean age 35.5 years, 64.0% female); 505 of 757 (66.7%) completed 9 years of follow-up. The difference in NEDA status between OCR-treated and interferon-treated patients achieved during the DBP (72.5% and 43.8%, respectively, odds ratio 3.48, 95% CI 2.52-4.81) was maintained throughout the 7-year OLE (48.2% vs 25.7%; odds ratio 2.72, 95% CI 1.94-3.82). No 24-week CDP was observed in 78.7% of OCR-treated patients over 9 years. Brain volume loss over the entire study period remained numerically higher among patients starting OCR later (p = 0.09 at OLE at week 336). During the DBP, safety profiles in both groups were similar; no new safety signals were observed during the OLE. Over >9 years of continuous OCR treatment, the rate of infections remained low and stable over time. DISCUSSION: A higher proportion of OCR-treated patients achieved NEDA status compared with interferon-treated patients during the DBP, which was maintained throughout the OLE. After switching to OCR, disability accrual and brain volume loss among interferon-treated patients became similar to the OCR-OCR group, but disability and brain volume loss accrued during interferon treatment were not recovered. Possible study limitations include assessment bias due to unmaintained blinding during the OLE. These data support OCR as first-line therapy for these patients. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that OCR delays disease progression in treatment-naïve patients with early-stage RMS.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Double-Blind Method MeSH
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized * adverse effects   therapeutic use   administration & dosage   MeSH
• Immunologic Factors * adverse effects   administration & dosage   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Interferon beta-1a therapeutic use   administration & dosage   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging MeSH
• Disease Progression MeSH
• Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting * drug therapy   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Multicenter Study MeSH
• Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH

Účinnost interferonu alfa v terapii Ph negativních myeloproliferativních onemocnění je známá již několik desetiletí, nicméně až nové pegylované formy s lepšími farmakokinetickými vlastnostmi vedly k jeho rozšíření do běžné klinické praxe. Interferon alfa prokazatelně vede u vysokého procenta nemocných s pravou polycytemií k dosažení nejenom hematologické, ale i molekulární odpovědi a tím snižuje riziko přechodu do myelofibrózy. Jednotlivé přípravky pegylovaných interferonů se od sebe liší způsobem pegylace, což má za následek rozdíly nejenom v četnosti frekvence aplikace, ale také v toleranci léčby.

Efficiency of interferon alpha in treatment of Ph-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms is well known for many decades, however only recently new pegylated forms of interferon with better pharmacokinetic profile led to its widespread use in routine clinical practice. Interferon alpha has shown in multiple studies in substantial proportion of patients with polycythemia vera its potential to achieve not only hematological but also molecular response important for reducing risk of progression to myelofibrosis. In the Czech Republic, there are two pegylated interferon forms with different pegylation, which causes differences in dosing intervals and safety profile.

• Keywords
• Ropeg-IFN, Peg-IFN,
• MeSH
• Interferon-alpha * pharmacology   classification   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions MeSH
• Polycythemia Vera * diagnosis   drug therapy   MeSH
• Drug Tolerance MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Review MeSH

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus (TBEV) is transmitted to humans via tick bites. Infection is benign in >90% of the cases but can cause mild (<5%), moderate (<4%), or severe (<1%) encephalitis. We show here that ∼10% of patients hospitalized for severe TBE in cohorts from Austria, Czech Republic, and France carry auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-α2, -β, and/or -ω at the onset of disease, contrasting with only ∼1% of patients with moderate and mild TBE. These auto-Abs were found in two of eight patients who died and none of 13 with silent infection. The odds ratios (OR) for severe TBE in individuals with these auto-Abs relative to those without them in the general population were 4.9 (95% CI: 1.5-15.9, P < 0.0001) for the neutralization of only 100 pg/ml IFN-α2 and/or -ω, and 20.8 (95% CI: 4.5-97.4, P < 0.0001) for the neutralization of 10 ng/ml IFN-α2 and -ω. Auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs accounted for ∼10% of severe TBE cases in these three European cohorts.

• MeSH
• Autoantibodies * immunology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Interferon Type I * immunology   MeSH
• Encephalitis, Tick-Borne * immunology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Antibodies, Neutralizing * immunology   MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne immunology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH
• Austria MeSH

Type I interferon (IFN) is a class of proinflammatory cytokines with a dual role on malignant transformation, tumor progression, and response to therapy. On the one hand, robust, acute, and resolving type I IFN responses have been shown to mediate prominent anticancer effects, reflecting not only their direct cytostatic/cytotoxic activity on (at least some) malignant cells, but also their pronounced immunostimulatory functions. In line with this notion, type I IFN signaling has been implicated in the antineoplastic effects of various immunogenic therapeutics, including (but not limited to) immunogenic cell death (ICD)-inducing agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). On the other hand, weak, indolent, and non-resolving type I IFN responses have been demonstrated to support tumor progression and resistance to therapy, reflecting the ability of suboptimal type I IFN signaling to mediate cytoprotective activity, promote stemness, favor tolerance to chromosomal instability, and facilitate the establishment of an immunologically exhausted tumor microenvironment. Here, we review fundamental aspects of type I IFN signaling and their context-dependent impact on malignant transformation, tumor progression, and response to therapy.

• MeSH
• Cytokines MeSH
• Interferon Type I * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Tumor Microenvironment MeSH
• Neoplasms * drug therapy   MeSH
• Antineoplastic Agents * pharmacology   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

Anti-drug antibodies (ADA) reduce the efficacy of immunotherapies in multiple sclerosis (MS) and are associated with increased disease progression risk. Blood biomarkers predicting immunogenicity to biopharmaceuticals represent an unmet clinical need. Patients with relapsing remitting (RR)MS were recruited before (baseline), three, and 12 (M12) months after commencing interferon-beta treatment. Neutralising ADA-status was determined at M12, and patients were stratified at baseline according to their M12 ADA-status (ADA-positive/ADA-negative). Patients stratified as ADA-positive were characterised by an early dampened response to interferon-beta (prior to serum ADA detection) and distinct proinflammatory transcriptomic/proteomic peripheral blood signatures enriched for 'immune response activation' including phosphoinositide 3-kinase-γ and NFκB-signalling pathways both at baseline and throughout the treatment course, compared to ADA-negative patients. These immunogenicity-associated proinflammatory signatures significantly overlapped with signatures of MS disease severity. Thus, whole blood molecular profiling is a promising tool for prediction of ADA-development in RRMS and could provide insight into mechanisms of immunogenicity.

• MeSH
• Biomarkers blood   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Interferon-beta * therapeutic use   immunology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Proteomics * MeSH
• Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting * drug therapy   immunology   blood   MeSH
• Multiple Sclerosis drug therapy   immunology   blood   MeSH
• Severity of Illness Index MeSH
• Transcriptome * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

BACKGROUND: The molecular content of urine is defined by filtration in the kidneys and by local release from tissues lining the urinary tract. Pathological processes and different therapies change the molecular composition of urine and a variety of markers have been analyzed in patients with bladder cancer. The response to BCG immunotherapy and chemotherapy has been extensively studied and elevated urine concentrations of IL-1RA, IFN-α, IFN-γ TNF-α, and IL-17 have been associated with improved outcome. METHODS: In this study, the host response to intravesical alpha 1-oleate treatment was characterized in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer by proteomic and transcriptomic analysis. RESULTS: Proteomic profiling detected a significant increase in multiple cytokines in the treatment group compared to placebo. The innate immune response was strongly activated, including IL-1RA and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the IL-1 family (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-33), chemokines (MIP-1α, IL-8), and interferons (IFN-α2, IFN-γ). Adaptive immune mediators included IL-12, Granzyme B, CD40, PD-L1, and IL-17D, suggesting broad effects of alpha 1-oleate treatment on the tumor tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The cytokine response profile in alpha 1-oleate treated patients was similar to that reported in BCG treated patients, suggesting a significant overlap. A reduction in protein levels at the end of treatment coincided with inhibition of cancer-related gene expression in tissue biopsies, consistent with a positive treatment effect. Thus, in addition to killing tumor cells and inducing cell detachment, alpha 1-oleate is shown to activate a broad immune response with a protective potential.

• MeSH
• Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein therapeutic use   MeSH
• BCG Vaccine * therapeutic use   MeSH
• Cytokines MeSH
• Immunity MeSH
• Interferon-alpha pharmacology   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Oleic Acid MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Urinary Bladder Neoplasms * pathology   MeSH
• Proteomics MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Roztroušená skleróza (RS) je chronické a nevyléčitelné autoimunitní onemocnění centrálního nervového systému (CNS). Cílem chorobu­ modifikující léčby (DMT - disease modifying therapy) je zpomalit progresi onemocnění, zabránit relapsům a zvýšit celkovou kvalitu života pacienta. Adherence označuje míru spolupráce pacienta při léčbě a je nezbytná pro účinnou léčbu. Non-adherence je spojená s rizikem progrese disability a se zvýšenými náklady na zdravotní péči. Cílem tohoto článku je představení tří kazuistik pacientů s vysoce účinnou terapií (HET - high efficacy therapy). První pacientka je léčena HET od počátku choroby a má výbornou adherenci. Druhá kazuistika referuje o pacientce s non­‐adherencí na interferonu beta s následnou těžkou atakou po vysazení léčby. Pacientka je nyní stabilizovaná na ocrelizumabu. Třetí pacientka měla nežádoucí účinky na perorální léčbě dimethyl fumarátem a byla také převedena na ocrelizumab.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and incurable autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The goals of disease-modifying therapy (DMT) are to slow down disease progression, prevent relapses, and increase the overall quality of life of the patient. Adherence refers to the degree to which a patient complies with prescribed treatment and as such is required for the treatment to be effective. Non-adherence is associated with a risk of disability progression and increased healthcare costs. The aim of the article is to present three case reports of female patients on high-efficacy therapy (HET). Patient 1 has been treated with HET since disease onset and has excellent adherence. The second case report presents a patient with non-adherence to interferon beta with a subsequent severe attack following treatment discontinuation. The patient is now stabilized with ocrelizumab. Patient 3 had experienced adverse effects while on oral treatment with dimethyl fumarate and was also switched to ocrelizumab.

• Keywords
• ocrelizumab,
• MeSH
• Medication Adherence statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Dimethyl Fumarate adverse effects   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized * economics   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Immunologic Factors economics   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Interferon-beta adverse effects   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Administration, Intravenous MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Multiple Sclerosis * diagnostic imaging   drug therapy   pathology   MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Case Reports MeSH

BACKGROUND: To mimic as closely as possible a randomised controlled trial (RCT) and calibrate the real-world evidence (RWE) studies against a known treatment effect would be helpful to understand if RWE can support causal conclusions in selected circumstances. The aim was to emulate the TRANSFORMS trial comparing Fingolimod (FTY) versus intramuscular interferon β-1a (IFN) using observational data. METHODS: We extracted from the MSBase registry all the patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) collected in the period 2011-2021 who received IFN or FTY (0.5 mg) and with the same inclusion and exclusion criteria of the TRANSFORMS RCT. The primary endpoint was the annualised relapse rate (ARR) over 12 months. Patients were 1:1 propensity-score (PS) matched. Relapse-rate ratio (RR) was calculated by mean of a negative binomial regression. RESULTS: A total of 4376 patients with RRMS (1140 in IFN and 3236 in FTY) were selected. After PS, 856 patients in each group were matched. The ARR was 0.45 in IFN and 0.25 in FTY with a significant difference between the two groups (RR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.68; p<0.001). The result of the emulation was very similar and fell within the 95% CI of that observed in the RCT (RR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.64; p<0.001) with a standardised difference of 0.66 (p=0.51). CONCLUSIONS: By applying the same inclusion and exclusion criteria used in the RCT and employing appropriate methodology, we successfully replicated the RCT results with only minor discrepancies. Also, even if the confounding bias cannot be fully eliminated, conducting a rigorous target trial emulation could still yield valuable insights for comparative effectiveness research.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Fingolimod Hydrochloride * therapeutic use   MeSH
• Immunosuppressive Agents therapeutic use   MeSH
• Interferon beta-1a * therapeutic use   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic * MeSH
• Registries * MeSH
• Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting * drug therapy   MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Pegylated interferon alfa (pegIFN-α) can induce molecular remissions in patients with JAK2-V617F-positive myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) by targeting long-term hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs). Additional somatic mutations in genes regulating LT-HSC self-renewal, such as DNMT3A, have been reported to have poorer responses to pegIFN-α. We investigated whether DNMT3A loss leads to alterations in JAK2-V617F LT-HSC functions conferring resistance to pegIFN-α treatment in a mouse model of MPN and in hematopoietic progenitors from patients with MPN. Long-term treatment with pegIFN-α normalized blood parameters and reduced splenomegaly and JAK2-V617F chimerism in single-mutant JAK2-V617F (VF) mice. However, pegIFN-α in VF;Dnmt3aΔ/Δ (VF;DmΔ/Δ) mice worsened splenomegaly and failed to reduce JAK2-V617F chimerism. Furthermore, LT-HSCs from VF;DmΔ/Δ mice compared with VF were less prone to accumulate DNA damage and exit dormancy upon pegIFN-α treatment. RNA sequencing showed that IFN-α induced stronger upregulation of inflammatory pathways in LT-HSCs from VF;DmΔ/Δ than from VF mice, indicating that the resistance of VF;DmΔ/Δ LT-HSC was not due to failure in IFN-α signaling. Transplantations of bone marrow from pegIFN-α-treated VF;DmΔ/Δ mice gave rise to more aggressive disease in secondary and tertiary recipients. Liquid cultures of hematopoietic progenitors from patients with MPN with JAK2-V617F and DNMT3A mutation showed increased percentages of JAK2-V617F-positive colonies upon IFN-α exposure, whereas in patients with JAK2-V617F alone, the percentages of JAK2-V617F-positive colonies decreased or remained unchanged. PegIFN-α combined with 5-azacytidine only partially overcame resistance in VF;DmΔ/Δ mice. However, this combination strongly decreased the JAK2-mutant allele burden in mice carrying VF mutation only, showing potential to inflict substantial damage preferentially to the JAK2-mutant clone.

• MeSH
• Cell Self Renewal MeSH
• Drug Resistance, Neoplasm * genetics   MeSH
• DNA Methyltransferase 3A * genetics   MeSH
• DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases * genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Hematopoietic Stem Cells * metabolism   pathology   drug effects   MeSH
• Interferon-alpha * pharmacology   MeSH
• Janus Kinase 2 * genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Myeloproliferative Disorders * genetics   pathology   drug therapy   metabolism   MeSH
• Mice, Inbred C57BL MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Polyethylene Glycols pharmacology   MeSH
• Recombinant Proteins MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH