CONCENTRATIONS OF PLASMA AND CEREBROSPINAL FLUID AMINO ACIDS IN PATIENTS WITH SEIZURES
Abstract number :
2.060
Submission category :
Year :
2002
Submission ID :
1978
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/7/2002 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Dec 1, 2002, 06:00 AM
Authors :
Sirpa Rainesalo, Pirjo Saransaari, Jukka Peltola, Tapani Keranen. Neurology and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland; Medical School; Brain Research Center, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland; Neurology, University of Turku, Tur
RATIONALE: The concentrations of amino acids have been shown to change during epileptic activity in the human brain leading to an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory amino acids. These alterations are also discernible in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. Many antiepileptic drugs also affect the amino acid levels in the brain. We compared amino acid levels in different epileptic syndromes and also after acute seizures.
METHODS: In the first experiment we studied 37 patients with localization-related epilepsy, 20 of them had temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis. Twenty five patients had juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). In second experiment 22 patients were studied immediately after generalized tonic-clonic seizure and in these patients also CSF samples were drawn. The results were compared with the data from 40 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. All samples were stored at 20[degree]C until analyzed
RESULTS: The plasma levels of glutamate were not altered in epileptic patients, except only after the seizures (p=0.04). In the CSF there were no changes in the levels of glutamate. Plasma levels of taurine were decreased in patients with JME when compared to healthy controls (p=0.03) and after these acute seizures taurine levels were decreased in CSF also (p=0.028). The glycine levels in plasma were elevated in patients with JME (p=0.007), but the levels of aspartate were lowered in patients with localization-related epilepsy (p=0.014). GABA levels were below the detection level in the plasma and in the CSF there were no changes when compared to controls.
CONCLUSIONS: The plasma levels of amino acids are altered differently in idiopathic and localization-related epilepsy syndromes. Seizures also affect directly the amino acids levels. The medication used may have also affected the results obtained. The glutamate levels were raised immediately after tonic-clonic seizures, but the interictal plasma levels of glutamate were unaltered in patients with localization-related epilepsy.
[Supported by: the Medical Research fund of Tampere University Hospital and Tampere University Brain Research Center.]