title: Does valproate therapy in epileptic patients contribute to changing atherosclerosis risk factors? The role of lipids and free fatty acids.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to demonstrate the relationship between the valproate (VPA) treatment versus lipid and serum free fatty acids (FFAs) profiles to be the potential atherosclerosis risk factor in epileptic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fasting blood samples were taken from 21 adult VPA-treated patients and 21 controls. The profiles of lipids, FFAs, clinical parameters and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences between the study group and controls were found for any of the studied parameters. However, significant differences in the total cholesterol (CHOL), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), triglycerides, the CHOL/HDL (high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol) ratio, and Atherogenic Index of Plasma were observed for overweight patients when compared to those of normal weight. Patients with uncontrolled epilepsy tended to have significantly lower palmitic acid level than seizure-free patients. Oleic acid was found to be positively correlated with VPA concentration for patients with uncontrolled epilepsy, and with the dose corrected VPA concentration for all the patients. The acid was however negatively correlated with stearic acid for both the controls and the patients with uncontrolled epilepsy. PLS method revealed CHOL, LDL, triglycerides and myristic acid to be positively interrelated for the whole group under the study, whereas these parameters were found to be negatively correlated with VPA concentration, and positively with BMI. Furthermore, high sensitivity C-reactive protein was found to be negatively correlated with palmitic acid levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight VPA-treated patients are exposed to higher risk of atherosclerosis. Alterations in FFAs are likely to depend on seizures control, and on VPA levels.
authors.affiliation: Antiepileptic Outpatient Clinic, Voivodship Clinical Hospital No 2, Rzeszów, Poland. Electronic address: elapp13@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Płonka-Półtorak
authors.affiliation: Henryk Niewodniczański Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kraków, Poland; Department of Food Chemistry and Nutrition, Medical College Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zagrodzki
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Chemistry and Nutrition, Medical College Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Jadwiga
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kryczyk-Kozioł
authors.affiliation: Rinnekoti Research Centre, FIN 02980 Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: Tuomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Westermarck
authors.affiliation: Rinnekoti Research Centre, FIN 02980 Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kaipainen
authors.affiliation: Rinnekoti Research Centre, FIN 02980 Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaski
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, ELTDK, FIN 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Faik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Atroshi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D008055:Lipids; D014635:Valproic Acid
keywords: Atherosclerosis risk factors; Epilepsy; Free fatty acids; Lipid profile; Valproates