Beneficial effect of interferon-beta 1b treatment in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis is associated with an increase in serum levels of soluble HLA-I molecules during the first 3 months of therapy.

It has recently become clear that interferon-beta (IFN-beta) treatment is effective in ameliorating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) through an as yet unidentified mechanism. As there is no recognisable biological indicator to predict responsiveness to IFN-beta treatment, we have investigated fluctuations in serum sHLA-I levels in MS patients undergoing IFN-beta 1b therapy. Serum sHLA-I concentrations measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were assessed at baseline and, longitudinally, over a period of 18 months after the start of treatment in 29 RRMS patients grouped as responders and nonresponders according to their clinical response to IFN-beta 1b therapy.

Clinical and MRI disease activity in multiple sclerosis are associated with reciprocal fluctuations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid levels of soluble HLA class I molecules.

The goal of our study was to clarify the contribution of soluble human leukocyte antigens class I (sHLA-I) in multiple sclerosis (MS) immune dysregulation. We retrospectively evaluated by ELISA cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum sHLA-I levels in 79 relapsing-remitting (RR), 26 secondary progressive (SP) and 15 primary progressive (PP) MS patients stratified according to clinical and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) evidence of disease activity. One hundred and nine patients with other inflammatory neurological disorders (OIND), 88 with noninflammatory neurological disorders (NIND) and 82 healthy donors were used as controls.

Risk factors for cryptogenic and idiopathic partial epilepsy: a community-based case-control study in Copparo, Italy.

Objectives: The etiology of epilepsy remains unknown in most cases. We sought to investigate the role of some pre-, peri- and postnatal factors in the etiology of idiopathic and cryptogenetic partial epilepsy.

Methods: We carried out a community-based case-control study using the incidence cohort of epileptic patients living in the district of Copparo, in the province of Ferrara, Italy.

Patient demographic and clinical features and circadian variation in onset of ischemic stroke.

Background: Studies have reported circadian variation in the onset of ischemic stroke, which may carry important pathophysiological implications. However, there is no detailed information about circadian variations among the subtypes of stroke.

Objective: To determine whether subgroups of patients with ischemic stroke with specific clinical characteristics would exhibit different circadian patterns, to more systematically examine the role of possible triggering or precipitating factors.