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Natural killer cell activity and serum immunoglobulins in epileptic patients
Author(s) -
Testorell Carla,
Pruneri Carlo,
FeriniStrambi Luigi,
Zamperetti Marco,
Altamura Carlo A.,
Smirne Salvatore,
Bareggi Silvio R.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.470080608
Subject(s) - effector , antibody , immunology , epilepsy , immune system , cytotoxic t cell , idiopathic generalized epilepsy , natural killer cell , immunity , medicine , biology , biochemistry , in vitro , psychiatry
Serum immunoglobulins and the activity of natural killer (NK) cells of 50 epileptic patients (eight with idiopathic generalized epilepsy and 42 with cryptogenic partial epilepsy) and 28 controls have been studied. The values of IgA, IgG and IgM were the same‐in patients and controls. The NK activity in controls was linearly related to the effector‐to‐target ratio, but this linear relationship was not observed in epileptic patients. The cytotoxic activity of NK cells at the lowest effector‐to‐target ratio was significantly greater in patients than in controls. This increase was observed in each therapy group. Our results seem to confirm a disturbance of the immune system in epileptic patients and suggest that this modification of cellular immunity is not a drug effect but is related to the illness itself.