RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Improvement following interferon-alpha 2A in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
JF Neurology
JO Neurology
FD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
SP 777
OP 780
DO 10.1212/WNL.48.3.777
VO 48
IS 3
A1 Kenneth C. Gorson
A1 Gregory Allam
A1 Drasko Simovic
A1 Allan H. Ropper
YR 1997
UL http://n.neurology.org/content/48/3/777.abstract
AB Article abstract-Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a progressive or relapsing immune-mediated neuropathy usually responsive to plasma exchange, intravenous gammaglobulin or steroids, with some patients being refractory to these conventional therapies. We report a patient with CIDP who had spontaneous improvement after an episode of sepsis, but subsequently relapsed with severe generalized weakness; he was unresponsive to the conventional treatments for CIDP but had dramatic improvement following treatment with interferon-alpha 2A. Nerve conduction studies following treatment showed improved distal compound muscle action potential amplitudes without change in the degree of conduction block. The mechanism of action of interferon-alpha is unknown, but it may modulate proinflammatory cytokines that have a role in immune-mediated demyelination. Interferon-alpha may be an effective alternative therapy in patients with CIDP who relapse or are refractory to conventional treatments. NEUROLOGY 1997;48: 777-780