title: Effect of Antiepileptic Therapy on Serum 25(OH)D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3 Levels in Epileptic Children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D deficiency is not only associated with the adverse effects of chronic treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), but also with epilepsy. Although emerging evidence suggests that AEDs can accelerate the vitamin D catabolism, resulting in suboptimal vitamin D status, there are a limited number of studies examining the vitamin D status in epileptic patients, especially in first-episode or AEDs-naïve children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Determined with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, circulating 25(OH)D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3 levels, and 24,25(OH)2D3:25(OH)D3 ratio were compared between AEDs-treated epileptic (n = 363) and control (n = 159) children. To further figure out whether the patients were in a vitamin D deficient prone state even before treatment, epileptic children before their initiation of treatment (n = 51) were enrolled into a follow-up study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant decrease of 25(OH)D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3 levels, but a significant increase of 24,25(OH)2D3:25(OH)D3 ratio was observed in epileptic children, compared with controls. Baseline 25(OH)D3, 24,25(OH)2D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3:25(OH)D3 ratio in the follow-up group were similar to those in controls, but significantly changed with 2 months of AED therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Disturbed vitamin D levels were possibly the consequence of AED therapy, rather than the contributing factor of epilepsy. Collectively, circulating vitamin D levels should be monitored and corrected in AEDs-treated epileptic children.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Wenye
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Huande
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ruili
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: Hualin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Mimi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yanqin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D015650:24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 / Q000097:blood*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014815:Vitamins
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014815:Vitamins; D015650:24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3; D002117:Calcitriol