TY - JOUR
T1 - Neutralizing and binding antibodies to interferon beta in patients with multiple sclerosis
T2 - A comparison of assay results from three Italian centres
AU - Bellomi, Francesca
AU - Bramanti, Placido
AU - Trojano, Maria
AU - Scagnolari, Carolina
AU - Muto, Antonella
AU - Sessa, Edoardo
AU - Volpe, Vito La
AU - Russo, Pierluigi
AU - Antonelli, Guido
PY - 2009/1
Y1 - 2009/1
N2 - Interferon (IFN) beta therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with the development of binding antibodies (BAbs) and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in a percentage of patients. This study investigated the reproducibility of results of two different antibody detection techniques using serum from 100 patients with MS who were receiving IFN beta therapy. Fifty samples were analysed using a commercially available kit-based BAb assay and a further 50 different samples were analysed using a widely used NAb cytopathic effect assay, at three different laboratories. All three centres agreed on the BAb status of all serum samples. However, only 84% agreement was reached on serum NAb status, and there was significant inter-laboratory variation in NAb titre values. Further analysis of these data revealed a correlation between the mean NAb titre and the coefficient of variation of serum samples, indicating greater discordance with higher NAb titres. A significant interlaboratory variation in NAb titres does exist; thus, caution is required when comparing titres from different centres. It is clear that validated detection assays are needed to accurately quantify NAb titres.
AB - Interferon (IFN) beta therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with the development of binding antibodies (BAbs) and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in a percentage of patients. This study investigated the reproducibility of results of two different antibody detection techniques using serum from 100 patients with MS who were receiving IFN beta therapy. Fifty samples were analysed using a commercially available kit-based BAb assay and a further 50 different samples were analysed using a widely used NAb cytopathic effect assay, at three different laboratories. All three centres agreed on the BAb status of all serum samples. However, only 84% agreement was reached on serum NAb status, and there was significant inter-laboratory variation in NAb titre values. Further analysis of these data revealed a correlation between the mean NAb titre and the coefficient of variation of serum samples, indicating greater discordance with higher NAb titres. A significant interlaboratory variation in NAb titres does exist; thus, caution is required when comparing titres from different centres. It is clear that validated detection assays are needed to accurately quantify NAb titres.
KW - Antibodies to interferon
KW - Interferon beta
KW - Multiple sclerosis
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U2 - 10.1080/15321810802569857
DO - 10.1080/15321810802569857
M3 - Article
C2 - 19117201
AN - SCOPUS:58149149644
VL - 30
SP - 40
EP - 50
JO - Journal of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry
JF - Journal of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry
SN - 1532-1819
IS - 1
ER -