No association of anti-GM1 and anti-GAD antibodies with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
The presence of anti-ganglioside (GM1) or anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies has been reported in association with therapy-resistant epilepsy mostly of focal origin. Our aim was to detect GM1 and GAD autoantibodies in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and to evaluate their association with rarely encountered therapy-resistant cases in this idiopathic generalised epilepsy syndrome.


METHODS
Ninety-six consecutive JME patients and 25 healthy normal control subjects were included to the study. We investigated anti-GM1 and anti-GAD antibodies with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA), respectively.


RESULTS
We found anti-GM1 antibodies in one of 96 (1.04%) JME patients and in one out of 25 (4%) healthy controls, without reaching a significant difference between the titres. Anti-GAD antibodies were detected in 5.8% of the patients and in 4% of the healthy controls. Both antibodies did not have any association with therapy-resistant cases and with any other relevant parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our pilot study suggested that anti-GM1 and anti-GAD antibodies are rare and they did not associate with therapy-resistance and other parameters in JME syndrome.
Aykutlu
Ebru
E
Department of Neurology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Millet Cad, 34390 Capa, Istanbul, Turkey.
Baykan
Betül
B
Gürses
Candan
C
Gokyigit
Ayşen
A
Saruhan-Direskeneli
Güher
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology*; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020190:Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods
D001323:Autoantibodies; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase