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Further evidence of an association between ischemic types of events and the MS disease progression is provided in an article by Zivadinov et al.30 who prospectively investigated over 3 years the associations of baseline serum anti-phospholipid antibody (APLA) status on the evolution of clinical and MRI measures in an MS patient cohort treated with interferon-beta. The study suggested that APLA-positive MS patients treated with interferon-beta-1a develop more severe MRI and clinical deterioration, indicating that APLA-related macro- and microvascular damage may be an important component of the MS disease process as it advances.

CONCLUSION:This study suggests that APLA(+) RRMS patients treated with IFN-beta1a develop more severe MRI and clinical deterioration. Future studies are required to evaluate the role of APLA as potential biomarkers for disease prognosis versus predictors for therapeutic response to IFN-beta therapy.