Abstract
Previous studies have reported an association between anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) treatment and central nervous system (CNS) events. We described eight patients presenting with demyelinating CNS events while on treatment with anti-TNFα for autoimmune diseases and followed up for a medium period of 4 years. Four patients presented with isolated demyelinating events, three patients fulfilled the criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS), and one patient showed worsening of pre-existing MS after anti-TNF therapy initiation. All patients except one, showed a good medium-term prognosis. Our observation supports an association between anti-TNFα treatment and demyelinating events and suggests that a prompt discontinuation of the drug may lead to a favorable demyelinating disease outcome.
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RC has been awarded a MAGNIMS-ECTRIMS fellowship in 2019. LP received consulting fees from Biogen, Novartis and Roche; speaker honoraria from Biogen, Genzyme, Merck Serono, Novartis, Roche, and Teva and research grants from the Italian MS Society and Genzyme. SH: received fees as invited speakers or travel grants from Biogen, Novartis, Merck Serono, Roche, CSL Behrig, Bial. AS reports no disclosures. CG received fees as invited speaker or travel expenses for attending meeting from Biogen, Merck-Serono, Teva, Sanofi, Novartis, Genzyme. CT received honoraria for speaking and travel grants from Biogen, Sanofi-Aventis, Merck Serono, Bayer-Schering, Teva, Genzyme, Almirall, and Novartis. VV and ILS have nothing to disclose. On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
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The study was in accordance with the ethical standard of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Cortese, R., Prosperini, L., Stasolla, A. et al. Clinical course of central nervous system demyelinating neurological adverse events associated with anti-TNF therapy. J Neurol 268, 2895–2899 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-021-10460-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-021-10460-6