Frequency of anticardiolipin, antinuclear and anti beta2GP1 antibodies is not increased in unselected epileptic patients: a case-control study.
In order to determine whether auto antibodies were restricted to some subtypes of epilepsy, we included 81 unselected epileptic patients and 81 controls, studied clinical data, EEG, neuroimaging, measured antinuclear (ANA), anticardiolipin (aCL) and beta2GP1 antibodies.


RESULTS
Epilepsy was active in 74 patients, generalised in 78 and partial in 9. Auto antibodies were positive at the same frequency and the same level among patients and controls (ANA+ 17% vs. 11%; aCL+ 4% vs. 7%; beta2GP1 antibodies+ 5% vs. 6%). There was no increased frequency of auto antibodies among subgroups of epileptic patients except ANA which were more frequent when patients had more than 10 seizures per year.


CONCLUSIONS
Positivity of ANA, aCL and beta2GP1 antibodies is not increased in all types of epilepsy and further studies are needed to determine exactly which kind of seizure is immune-mediated.
Debourdeau
Philippe
P
Department of Internal Medicine, Desgenettes Hospital, 108 Boulevard Pinel, 69 003 Lyon, France. philippe.debourdeau@waika9.com
Gérome
Patrick
P
Zammit
Christine
C
Saillol
Anne
A
Aletti
Marc
M
Bargues
Laurent
L
Cointet
François
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000276:immunology*; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000276:immunology*; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D006023:Glycoproteins; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I