title: Evaluation of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Antibody Levels in Patients with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy and Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy with Hippocampal Sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several clinical studies have been conducted to investigate the role of autoantibodies and immunological mechanisms in the etiology of treatment-resistant epilepsy in recent years. Some immunological treatments have been suggested as a result of these studies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of autoimmunity in partial and idiopathic generalized epilepsy and determine the relationship between drug resistance and autoimmune antibodies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight patients (24 treatment-responsive and 4 treatment-resistant) with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), 26 patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLEHS) resistant to antiepileptic drug treatment, and 26 age-matched healthy control subjects were included in a two-year cross sectional study. Glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (GADA) levels were measured with a radioimmunoassay method in the serum of the included subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High GADA titers were detected in 2 patients with JME (7.1%), 1 patient with MTLEHS (3.8%), and 1 healthy subject (3.8%). There was no statistically significant difference among the groups regarding the serum GADA level. Although a limited number of drug-resistant patients with JME our study did not show relationships among anti-GADAs, both epileptic syndromes and drug resistance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because we did not determine any significant relationship between GADA levels and JME or MTLEHS, we do not recommend analysis of serum GADA levels in routine examinations where there is no evidence to suggest risk factors for autoimmunity.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Neurology, Bakırköy Psychiatric Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayten
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceyhan Dirican
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Neurology, Bakırköy Psychiatric Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevilay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elibirlik
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Neurology, Bakırköy Psychiatric Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Köksal
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Neurology, Bakırköy Psychiatric Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Öztürk
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Neurology, Bakırköy Psychiatric Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Altunkaynak
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Neurology, Bakırköy Psychiatric Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baybaş
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Bakırköy Psychiatric Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dirican
keywords: Epilepsy; glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody; hippocampal sclerosis; juvenile myoclonic epilepsy; mesial temporal lobe epilepsy