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Prevalence of Anti‐cardiolipin, Anti‐β 2 Glycoprotein I, and Anti‐prothrombin Antibodies in Young Patients with Epilepsy
Author(s) -
Cimaz R.,
Romeo A.,
Scarano A.,
Avc̆in T.,
Viri M.,
Veggiotti P.,
Gatti A.,
Lodi M.,
Catelli L.,
Panzeri P.,
Cecchini G.,
Meroni P. L.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1046/j.1528-1157.2002.00701.x
Subject(s) - autoantibody , medicine , lupus anticoagulant , anti nuclear antibody , epilepsy , extractable nuclear antigens , antibody , gastroenterology , immunology , psychiatry
Summary: Purpose: To measure anti‐cardiolipin (aCL), anti‐β 2 glycoprotein I (anti‐β2GPI), and anti‐prothrombin (aPT) antibodies in young patients with epilepsy, and to correlate their presence with demographic data, clinical diagnoses, laboratory and neuroradiologic findings, and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Methods: Sera from one hundred forty‐two consecutive patients with epilepsy with a median age of 10 years were tested for aCL and anti‐β2GPI autoantibodies by solid‐phase assays. aPT antibodies also were assayed in sera from 90 patients. Positive results were confirmed after a minimum of 6 weeks. Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) and antibodies against extractable nuclear antigens (ENAs) also were tested. Results: An overall positivity of 41 (28.8%) of 142 sera was found. Fifteen patients were positive for aCL, 25 for anti‐β2GPI, and 18 for aPT antibodies. Several patients (12%) displayed more than one specificity in their serum. Only one of these patients had a concurrent positivity for ANAs and ENAs. A predominance of younger patients was found in the antibody‐positive group. All types of epilepsy were represented in the positive group. No relation between antibody positivity and AEDs was found. Diffuse ischemic lesions at computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were present in higher percentages in patients who were antibody positive. No positive patient had a history of previous thrombosis or other features related to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and no patient was born of a mother with SLE. Conclusions: Our study suggests a relation between epilepsy and aPL in young patients. A pathogenetic role for these autoantibodies cannot be excluded, and their determination might prove useful even from a therapeutic point of view.