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Effects of carbamazepine and valproate on immunological assessment in young epileptic patients

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Abstract

Serum immunoglobulin levels and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were determined in 25 epileptic children treated with anticonvulsant drugs [carbamazepine (CBZ) or sodium valproate (VPA)], 17 untreated patients and 18 healthy subjects.

The treated and untreated patients did not differ significantly from the controls with respect to the mean IgA, IgG, IgM values or lymphocyte subsets. The patients on carbamazepine had lower serum concentrations of IgG (though not significantly lower) than the untreated patients and children on valproate.

OKT8 subset, in absolute terms and as a percentage of total lymphocytes, was significantly higher in generalized than in partial epilepsy, but this was probably due to the antiepileptic treatment.

We found a sex difference in serum immunoglobulins (Ig M, IgG) in the epileptic group.

Our data do not seem to argue for major changes in immune status related to clinical type of epilepsy or to VPA or CBZ treatment.

Sommario

Sono stati determinati i livelli di immunoglobuline sieriche e delle sottopopolazioni linfocitarie di 25 bambini epilettici trattati con farmaci anticonvulsivanti (Carbamazepina o Valproato di sodio), 17 pazienti senza terapia e 18 soggetti sani. Il gruppo di pazienti non trattati ed il gruppo dei trattati non differivano in modo significativo dai controlli per quanto riguarda i principali valori di IgA, IgG, IgM e delle sottopopolazioni linfocitarie.

La Carbamazepina agiva sulla concentrazione sierica di IgG (più bassa anche se in modo non significativo) respetto ai pazienti senza terapia ed ai bambini trattati con Valproato. Gli OKT8, sia in percentuale che in valore assoluto dei linfociti totali, erano più alti in modo significativo nelle forme di epilessia generalizzata rispetto alle forme parziali, ma questo risultato dipendeva probabilmente dalla terapia anticonvulsivante. Abbiamo rilevato una differenza fra maschi e femmine nelle concentrazioni di immunoglobuline sieriche (IgG, IgM) nel gruppo dei pazienti. I nostri dati non sembrano comunque avvalorare l'ipotesi dell'esistenza di alterazioni rilevanti nell'assetto immunologico in relazione al tipo clinico di epilessia ed al trattamento con CBZ o con VPA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto di Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Università di Milano, Via G. Besta, 1-20161, Milano

    Lenti C., Peruzzi C. & Guareschi Cazzullo A.

  2. Istituto di Psichiatria, Università di Milano, Via G. Besta, 1-20161, Milano

    Masserini C.

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  1. Lenti C.
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  2. Masserini C.
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  3. Peruzzi C.
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  4. Guareschi Cazzullo A.
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Lenti, C., Masserini, C., Peruzzi, C. et al. Effects of carbamazepine and valproate on immunological assessment in young epileptic patients. Ital J Neuro Sci 12, 87–91 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02337619

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02337619

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