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Background: Results for the e4/e2 alleles of the ApoE gene as markers of susceptibility, clinical and radiological progression, and cognitive deterioration in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are contradictory. Aim: The usefulness of these markers in predicting the response to interferon-β-1b (IFNβ-1b) was evaluated. Material and Methods: 95 patients with relapsing-remitting MS treated with IFNβ-1b (mean follow-up 7.44 years) were studied. We correlated the e4 and e2 alleles with the time to the first relapse or to a 1-point worsening on the Expanded Disability Status Scale, time to moderate disability, progression index, and treatment discontinuation due to inefficacy. Results: We found no association between the e4 allele and any of the variables. The e2 allele was associated with increased time to moderate disability. Conclusion: The e4 allele of ApoE has no prognostic value for the response to IFNβ-1b. The e2 allele delayed the progression of disability in our MS patient cohort.

There is limited long-term data on the effect of interferon-beta1b (IFN-beta1b) on disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). There is also no reliable way of predicting individual responses to IFN-beta1b treatment. This prospective study investigated early clinical prognostic markers of disease activity and progression in 115 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) treated with IFN-beta1b for almost 5 years. The study also compared progression of disability in IFN-beta1b-treated patients with a historic untreated cohort of MS patients (n = 44). The number of relapses in the first 2 years of MS and in the 2 years before treatment predicted an early relapse after IFN-beta1b treatment. The IFN-beta1b-treated group experienced a slower progression of disability than the untreated cohort, suggesting that IFN-beta1b treatment delays progression of disability in RRMS.