Quantitative Immunoglobulin Concentrations in Patients with Epilepsy
Abstract number :
2.168
Submission category :
Year :
2001
Submission ID :
2856
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/1/2001 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Dec 1, 2001, 06:00 AM
Authors :
J. Peltola, MD, Neurology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland; A-M. Haapala, MD, Clinical Microbiology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland; K. Luoma, MD, Neurology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; J. Isojarvi, MD, Neurology, Unive
RATIONALE: Alterations in the immunological parameters have been described in patients with epilepsy. Changes in the concentrations of immunoglobulins (Ig) have been observed; especially low IgA concentrations have been measured in patients with epilepsy treated with phenytoin. Both increased and decreased concentrations of IgG and IgM have been reported. However, studies addressing possible associations with immunoglobulin levels and newer antiepileptic medications have not been performed. Therefore we analyzed Ig concentrations in patients with epilepsy as well as in normal population.
METHODS: IgM, IgA and IgG concentrations were measured with nephelometry in 172 patients suffering from primary generalized or localization-related epilepsy as well as from 581 control subjects. The reference values for IgG were 6.77-15.0 g/l; for IgA 0.52-4.02 g/l in women and 0.88-4.84 g/l in men; for IgM 0.47-2.84 g/l in women and 0.36-2.59 g/l in men. Antiepileptic medications were recorded.
RESULTS: The mean concentrations of immunoglobulins were of similar magnitude in patients with epilepsy and normal population. The mean level for IgG was 10.3 g/l in patients and 10.4 g/l in controls; the mean level for IgM was 2.0 g/l in patients and 2.1 g/l in controls, and the mean concentration for IgA was 1.1 g/l in patients and 1.2 g/l in controls. Abnormally low levels for IgA were observed in 16 out of 172 patients (9.3%) and in 11 out of 581 controls (1.9%); p[lt]0.001,[chi]2-test. Six out of 16 patients with abnormally low IgA levels were on phenytoin.
CONCLUSIONS: The major finding of our study was significantly higher proportion of patients with abnormally low IgA concentrations compared with normal population, whereas mean concentrations were similar in patients and controls. Low IgA levels were associated with the use of phenytoin. No association was found between oxcarbazepine, carbamazepine or valproate with Ig concentrations.