Ghrelin levels are reduced in prepubertal epileptic children under treatment with carbamazepine or valproic acid.
A relationship between ghrelin and epilepsy has been already shown in humans, although the results are controversial. Ghrelin levels are reduced in obesity. Epileptic patients progressively develop a therapy-linked weight gain; however, the mechanisms for this have not been fully explained. The aim of our study is to evaluate if ghrelin secretion is modulated by treatment with carbamazepine or valproic acid in young prepubertal epileptic children. Ghrelin levels were reduced in normal-weight young epileptic prepubertal children under treatment with carbamazepine (p < 0.0001) or valproic acid (p < 0.006) compared to healthy age- and weight-matched subjects. Ghrelin was also lower in children under carbamazepine when compared to those under valproic acid (p < 0.01). A derangement in ghrelin secretion in epilepsy during specific pharmacologic therapies and independent of weight gain could be hypothesized.
Department of Medical Science, Division of Pediatrics, University of Piemonte Orientale, A. Avogadro, Novara, Italy. flavia.prodam@med.unipmn.it
Flavia
F
Prodam
Simonetta
S
Bellone
Gianluca
G
Casara
Francesca
F
De Rienzo
Erica C
EC
Grassino
Ilaria
I
Bonsignori
Irene
I
Demarchi
Anna
A
Rapa
Giorgio
G
Radetti
Gianni
G
Bona
D000367:Age Factors; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000097:blood; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D054439:Ghrelin; D002220:Carbamazepine; D014635:Valproic Acid