DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2014.v02i01.0039

Pages: 185-192

We aimed to investigate the relationship between the autoimmunity and epileptic paroxysmal disorders. It was a prospective case-control study (Setting: Ambulatory or hospitalized care). A total of 32 patients and 16 healthy children were included in the study. Anti-glutamate- N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase and anti-ganglioside (GM1, GM2, GM3, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b, and GQ1b) antibodies’ levels were evaluated. Overall, anti-ganglioside antibodies were found positive in approximately one third of the patients (11/32, %34.4). The positivity rate was 43.8% (7/16) in the epilepsy group (p>0.05) and 25% (4/16) in the febrile convulsions (FC) group (p>0.05) while it was 18.8% (3/16) in the control group. In the study group, the mean age of the patients with the autoantibody positivity (36.6±37 months) was significantly lower than the mean age of the patients with the autoantibody negativity (67.9±47.4 months) (p<0.05). The mean age of the patients with the autoantibody positivity was also significantly lower (43.7±45.8 months vs. 112±36.5 months) in the epilepsy group (p<0.05). In addition, while the electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormality was found significant in all four FC patients with the anti-ganglioside GT1b positivity (p<0.05); it was not remarkable in the epilepsy group with the anti-ganglioside positivity (p>0.05). It is determined that the autoantibody positivity may be cautionary in terms of the risk of epilepsy development and the persistent EEG abnormality in the patients with the newly diagnosed epilepsy and/or FC; and autoantibodies may become negative with the increased age.