title: Anti-IgA antibodies in epileptic patients with a low serum IgA concentration.
abstract: Sera from 22 phenytoin-treated epileptic patients with a serum IgA less than 0.30 g/l were examined for anti-IgA antibodies using an ELISA. Only one patient had a complete IgA deficiency. Anti-IgA antibodies of restricted specificity were detected in serum from two of the patients. Their serum IgA concentrations were 0.03 and 0.27 g/l. The serum concentrations of IgM, IgG and the IgG subclasses were normal in both these patients. The frequency of this type of anti-IgA antibody is not higher in epileptic patients with a low serum IgA than in healthy controls, and class-specific anti-IgA antibodies are not a pathogenetic factor in the IgA deficiency occurring in epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Gilhus
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hammarström
mesh_terms: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000097:blood*; D004406:Dysgammaglobulinemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D017098:IgA Deficiency; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000378:metabolism; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010672:Phenytoin