title: Investigation of probable relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and cryptogenic epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cryptogenic epilepsy, defines a group of epilepsy syndromes for which an aetiology is unknown but an underlying brain disease is suspected. We selected patients in this subgroup of epilepsy and investigated the sero-positivity rate for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). We investigated the probable relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and cryptogenic epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected 50 patients with cryptogenic epilepsy, 50 patients with known cause epilepsy and 50 healthy volunteers and investigated the sero-positivity rate for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sero-positivity rate for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies among cryptogenic epilepsy patients (52%) was found to be higher than healthy volunteers (18%) and known cause epilepsy patients (22%) with statistical significance, (X(2)=18.095, P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There might be a causal relationship between chronic toxoplasmosis and the aetiology of cryptogenic epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. syazar@erciyes.edu.tr
authors.forename: Süleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yazar
authors.forename: Fehim
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arman
authors.forename: Saban
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yalçin
authors.forename: Funda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Demirtaş
authors.forename: Ozan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yaman
authors.forename: Izzet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sahin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016781:Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G