title: Lipid profile and thyroid hormone concentrations in children with epilepsy treated with oxcarbazepine monotherapy: a prospective long-term study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate prospectively the changes and possible associations in lipid and thyroid profiles in children treated with oxcarbazepine (OXC) monotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TGs), lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), thyrotropin (TSH) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) concentrations were measured in 23 children with epilepsy, before and at 8 and 18 months of OXC monotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total cholesterol was significantly increased at 8 months (P = 0.033), whereas LDL-C was significantly increased at 8 and 18 months (P < 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively) of treatment. Lp(a) was significantly increased at 8 months (P = 0.042) and borderline significantly increased at 18 months (P = 0.050) of treatment. FT4 was significantly decreased at 8 and 18 months (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively), and TSH levels were significantly increased at 8 and 18 months (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively) of OXC monotherapy. GGT levels were significantly increased at 8 and 18 months (P < 0.001) of treatment. There were no significant alterations in HDL-C, TGs and FT3 levels during the study. Significant positive correlations were found between GGT and LDL-C levels at 8 (r = 0.468, P = 0.024) and 18 months (r = 0.498, P = 0.016), and between TSH and TC at 18 months (r = 0.508, P = 0.013) of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OXC monotherapy may cause significant and persistent alterations in lipid and thyroid profiles in children with epilepsy. The increase in LDL-C and TC levels may be associated with liver enzymes induction and thyroid dysfunction. Further long-term prospective studies are required to confirm these findings and to determine their clinical significance.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, 'Panagiotis and Aglaia Kyriakou' Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garoufi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koemtzidou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katsarou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dinopoulos
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kalimeraki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fotinou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drakatos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Attilakos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D008055:Lipids; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D002220:Carbamazepine; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine
keywords: children; epilepsy; lipids; oxcarbazepine; thyroid hormones