Abstracts

Rationale: Nitric oxide (NO) is known to be a free radial inducing neurotoxicity. However, NO in epilepsy can act as either an anticonvulsive or a proconvulsive agent. We investigate the role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS) gene polymorphism in the Korean epilepsy patients. Methods: We used PCR with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis to detect the G894T variant of the eNOS gene at exon 7 in 157 epilepsy patients. And then, we analyzed the relationships between the type of eNSO gene polymorphism and various factors (clinical findings, neuroimaging and EEG findings and drugs). Results: The frequencies of eNOS GG and GT was 135 and 22, and there was no case with TT genotypes. Patients with GT type were more male gender and had normal EEG findings than with GG type with significances (p<0.05). Patients with GG type had higher frequencies of seizures and used more combination antiepileptic drugs without significances. Conclusions: These results support that T allele of the eNOS G894T gene may be a predictive factor suggesting the favorable prognosis.