Multiple sclerosis, interferon beta and clinical thyroid dysfunction

Acta Neurol Scand. 2003 Feb;107(2):154-7. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0404.2003.02009.x.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate frequency and presentation of clinical thyroid dysfunction in patients treated with interferon beta (IFN-beta). We have collected the cases of clinical thyroid dysfunction in 700 consecutive patients receiving IFN-beta for multiple sclerosis (MS). Five patients (four women, one man) treated with IFN-beta1b developed hyperthyroidism. Three of them have secondary progressive MS, and two have relapsing-remitting MS. It was necessary to stop IFN-beta in three cases; these patients still require carbimazole after several months. In the two other cases, hyperthyroidism disappeared spontaneously. Two patients (one man and one woman) treated with IFN-beta1a developed hypothyroidism. One of them required l-thyroxine. Lastly, an increased thyroid volume without modification of thyroid hormones plasma levels was discovered in a patient receiving IFN-beta1a. Among patients treated with IFN-beta, clinical thyroid dysfunction is much rarer than laboratory thyroid dysfunction. However, this side-effect is sometimes severe.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antithyroid Agents / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Goiter / chemically induced
  • Goiter / complications
  • Goiter / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Hyperthyroidism / chemically induced
  • Hyperthyroidism / complications
  • Hyperthyroidism / drug therapy
  • Hypothyroidism / chemically induced
  • Hypothyroidism / complications
  • Hypothyroidism / drug therapy
  • Interferon beta-1a
  • Interferon beta-1b
  • Interferon-beta / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / complications*
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / drug therapy
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / complications*
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / drug therapy
  • Thyroid Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Thyroid Diseases / complications
  • Thyroid Diseases / diagnosis
  • Thyroxine / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antithyroid Agents
  • Interferon beta-1b
  • Interferon-beta
  • Thyroxine
  • Interferon beta-1a