Markery we krwi wskazujące na uszkodzenie mózgu i zapalenie w dziecięcej epilepsji: porównanie epilepsji kontrolowanej i oporno na leki
Candidate Serum Biomarkers of Neural Injury and Neuroinflammation in Childhood Epilepsy: Comparison Between Controlled and Drug-Resistant Phenotypes
W skrócie
Badacze badali markery zapalenia i uszkodzenia w krwi u dzieci z epilepsją, aby sprawdzić czy różnią się między dziećmi, które dobrze reagują na leki, a tymi, u których leki nie pomagają. Okazało się, że te markery we krwi nie różniły się między dwiema grupami dzieci, choć badacze znaleźli ciekawy związek między jednym markerem a wiekiem tylko u dzieci opornych na leki. Naukowcy twierdzą, że do ostatecznych wniosków potrzebne są większe badania z grupą kontrolną i obserwacją w dłuższym czasie.
Oryginalny abstract (angielski)
This study aimed to compare serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) related metabolites, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and ubiquitin (UBI) between children with controlled epilepsy (CE) and drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) of unknown etiology, and to investigate the associations between these biomarkers and electroclinical features. Eighty-five children aged 2-18 years with epilepsy of unknown etiology who had been receiving antiseizure treatment for at least six months were enrolled; 58 were classified as CE and 27 as DRE. Serum GFAP and UBI concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and serum NO-related metabolites were assessed using a Griess-based colorimetric assay. Between-group comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, and associations between biomarkers and clinical variables were evaluated using Spearman rank correlation analysis. Bonferroni correction was applied for multiple comparisons. Historical seizure frequency, comorbidity rate, and seizure detection on initial video-EEG differed significantly between the CE and DRE groups. However, serum NO-related metabolite, GFAP, and UBI levels did not differ significantly between the CE and DRE groups. Correlation analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between serum NO-related metabolite levels and age exclusively in the DRE group (ρ = 0.594, = 0.001), which remained significant after Bonferroni correction. No such association was observed in the CE group. No statistically significant differences in the measured peripheral serum biomarkers were detected between the CE and DRE groups in this sample. The age-related increase in NO-related metabolites observed in the DRE group should be interpreted cautiously and does not establish progressive NO upregulation or cumulative neuroinflammatory burden. Studies incorporating a healthy control group, standardized sampling intervals, and longitudinal designs are needed to clarify the clinical utility of these biomarkers in childhood epilepsy.