AUTOIMMUNITY IN CHILDHOOD EPILEPSY

Abstract

Objectives: To measure and compare the levels of anticardiolipin(aCL), anti-β2-glycoprotein 1(aβ2gp1) and antinuclear(ANA) antibodies in children with idiopathic epilepsy, epilepsy due to neurocysticercosis (NCC) and healthy controls and to find their correlation with clinical profile and recurrence of seizures. Methodology: Study included 36 idiopathic epilepsy cases (2 to 12 years), 36 age and sex matched healthy controls and 36 children of epilepsy due to NCC. Neuroimaging and EEG were done in all cases of idiopathic epilepsy. Levels of aCL, aβ2gp1 and ANA antibodies were measured using ELISA technique and compared among 3 groups. Results: Idiopathic epilepsy cases were comparable to healthy controls based on age, anthropometry and hematological parameters. Among idiopathic epilepsy cases, mean aβ2gp 1 antibody levelswere 6.37±4.7 GPL U/mL compared to 4.66±1.61 GPL U/ml incontrols (p=0.044). aβ2gp1 antibody positivity (>12 GPL U/ml) was 11.1% in idiopathic epilepsy and none in controls (p=0.040). No significant difference was found between the levels of aCL and ANA antibody among idiopathic epilepsy cases and controls. Mean levels of aCL antibody in idiopathic epilepsy was 7.30±4.16 GPL U/ml as compared to 5.22±3.30 GPL U/ml in NCCcases (p=0.022). aCL antibody was positive (>10 GPL U/ml) in 12(33.33%) idiopathic epilepsy cases versus 5(13.9%) in cases with NCC (p=0.047). No significant difference was found between the levels of aβ2gp1 and ANA antibody among idiopathic epilepsy cases and NCC cases(p>0.05). Antibody levels were statistically similar when compared based on age, sex, seizure type, recurrence (p>0.05). Conclusion: Antibody levels were higher in idiopathic epilepsy group compared to healthy controls with statistical significance in anti-β2-glycoprotein 1 antibody levels. Hence, autoimmunity has a role in idiopathic epilepsy.