title: Thyroid dysfunction associated with increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in epileptic children treated with carbamazepine monotherapy: a causal relationship?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lipid abnormalities and thyroid dysfunction have been reported in patients treated with antiepileptic drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate prospectively the association between thyroid and lipid profile in children treated with carbamazepine (CBZ) monotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thyroid function was evaluated in 18 epileptic children, previously reported with CBZ-induced changes in serum lipid profile, before and at 6, 12 and 24 months of CBZ monotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All children had normal thyroid function before the initiation of CBZ treatment. During CBZ therapy thyroid dysfunction, with increased thyrotropin (TSH) and decreased thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine (FT4) and triiodothyronine (T3) was found, while, significant association was revealed between serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and TSH levels at 6 (r=0.469; p=0.043) and 12 (r=0.730; p=0.001) months of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lipid abnormalities may be associated with thyroid hormone disturbance in children treated with CBZ monotherapy. Since thyroid dysfunction and hypercholesterolemia are both associated with a higher atherosclerotic risk special attention and further studies are needed in epileptic patients treated with CBZ monotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, Panagiotis and Aglaia Kyriakou Children's Hospital Athens, 1 Dimitsanis Street, Marousi, 15125 Athens, Greece. attilakos@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Achilleas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Attilakos
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garoufi
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Voudris
authors.forename: Sotiria
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mastroyianni
authors.forename: Aspasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fotinou
authors.forename: Dimitrios T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Papadimitriou
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gavalakis
authors.forename: Alexia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prassouli
authors.forename: Eustathia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katsarou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008297:Male; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced*; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D002220:Carbamazepine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine