Karg Eszter, Klivenyi Peter, Bencsik Krisztina, Turi Sandor, Vecsei Laszlo
Department of Pediatrics, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
Eur Neurol. 2003;50(4):215-9. doi: 10.1159/000073862.
To investigate the influence of interferon-beta-1b (INF-beta-1b) therapy on blood antioxidants (alpha-tocopherol and NADPH) in multiple sclerosis (MS).
Patients with relapsing-remitting MS (n = 14) have been studied during 6 months of INF-beta-1b therapy. alpha-Tocopherol was determined by HPLC and UV or electrochemical detection; NADPH was quantified spectrophotometrically.
The erythrocyte alpha-tocopherol level was reduced (p < 0.001) before treatment, but had regained the control level by 6 months of therapy. The plasma alpha-tocopherol/lipid ratios were constant during therapy. Plasma triglyceride levels were transiently increased (p = 0.0270) after 1 month of treatment. INF-beta-1b had also induced a transient decrease in NADPH after 1 month, but thereafter the level returned to approximately the initial value (p = 0.0248).
INF-beta-1b seems to exert a sparing effect toward the erythrocyte alpha-tocopherol content. The fall in NADPH in parallel to the rise in plasma triglycerides suggests stimulation of fatty acid synthesis by INF-beta-1b.
