Effect of anti-epileptic drugs on serum immunoglobulin levels in children.
Epilepsy is one of the most frequent neurological disorders. Despite the advances and improvements in treatment of seizure disorders, immunologic alterations related to anticonvulsant drugs have been described. The aim of this paper is to assess the effect of some antiepileptic drugs on serum immunoglobulin levels in epileptic patients. Seventy-one patients with epilepsy were included in the study. Participants were divided into three groups based on their treatment with carbamazepine (n=33), sodium valproate (n=22) or phenobarbital (n=16) as monotherapy. Three samples were taken from each patient and serum immunoglobulin levels were measured before treatment, 3 months and 6 months after therapy. Overall, eleven patients out of 71 (15.5%) had a decrease in at least one serum immunoglobulin level (more than 2SD below age-matched control). In the patients receiving carbamazepine, 8 patients (24.2%) showed significant decline in at least one immunoglobulin (3 cases in IgA and 5 cases in IgG). In the group of treated with sodium valproate, 2 patients showed significant decrease in serum IgA level. Results of the last group indicated a significant reduction in serum IgG concentration only in one patient. No patient at all showed significant decrease in serum IgM level. This study suggests that anti-epileptic drugs could reduce serum immunoglobulins, especially IgA and IgG; among them carbamazepine effect is of more concern.
Department of Pediatrics, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mahmoudreza
M
Ashrafi
Seyed Ahmad
SA
Hosseini
Sarah
S
Abolmaali
Mohammad
M
Biglari
Reza
R
Azizi
Maryam
M
Farghadan
Azam
A
Samadian
Shiva
S
Saghafi
Hoda
H
Mombeini
Narges
N
Saladjegheh
Nima
N
Rezaei
Asghar
A
Aghamohammadi
D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D007136:Immunoglobulins