AUTOANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH EPILEPSY

Abstract

Background: Autoimmune processes have been hypothesized as a potential cause of
undefined etiologically epilepsies Objectives: our work aimed to study the presence of
autoantibodies in well defined groups of patients with epilepsy which may offer novel tools
for the diagnosis and treatment. Methods: The study was carried out on 120 subjects (80
epileptic patients divided to tow groups, 40 patients on antiepileptic medications group A, and
40 patients newly diagnosed without medications group B, and 40 normal controls). They
were subjected to: Clinical assessment, inter-ictal EEG, and detection of anticardiolipin and
antinuclear antibodies in sera of the subjects. Results: a statistically significant difference
between two patient groups and the control group as regard serum level of +ve aCL IgG 25%
in group A, 30% in group B, IgM 35% in group A, 20% in group B and ANA 10% in group
A, 15% in group B. We found aCL antibodies more in patients on phenytoin treatment 75%
and all positive ANA cases on carbamazepine monothrapy100%. No statistically significant
association was found between moderate aCL IgG , low aCL IgM and ANA results and
frequency of seizures and between EEG changes and aCL and ANA results. Conclusion:
There may be a relationship between epilepsy and the presence of ANA and/or aCL
antibodies and that an immune dysregulation may be present in epileptic patients. These
autoantibodies could suggest alternative therapeutic approaches in difficult cases or in
patients not responding to currently used conventional AEDs.
Key Words: autoantibodies, epilepsy