title: Light chain ratios and concentrations of serum immunoglobulins in children with epilepsy.
abstract: Serum immunoglobulin G, A and M concentrations and their respective kappa/lambda (kappa/lambda) light chain ratios were studied in 26 children with epilepsy. Fifteen had cryptogenic West syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and 11 had other forms of childhood epilepsy. The results were compared to the data of a reference group of healthy children. The mean serum IgG and IgM concentrations were respectively 2.2 g/l (P = 0.007) and 0.4 g/l (P = 0.016) higher in the 26 children with epilepsy compared to the reference group. The kappa/lambda ratios of total serum immunoglobulins, IgG and IgM were respectively 0.10 (P = 0.057), 0.20 (P = 0.001) and 0.14 (P = 0.005) lower in the children with epilepsy than in the reference group. IgA concentration and IgA kappa/lambda ratio were not affected. There were no significant differences between the kappa/lambda ratios of the West and Lennox-Gastaut epilepsy and the other types of childhood epilepsies. The results are further evidence of reciprocal interaction between the nervous system and the immune system in childhood epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Nijmegen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haraldsson
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: van Engelen
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Renier
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bakkeren
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Weemaes
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000097:blood*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000097:blood; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains