Autoantibodies in epileptic patients indicate the autoimmune epilepsy

Abstract

Background Epilepsy is a multifaceted neurological condition marked by recurring seizures. Delving into the functions of VGKC (voltage-gated potassium channels), AMPA GluR3 (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor subunit 3), GAD65 (glutamate decarboxylase 65), and LGI1 (leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1) in epilepsy yields significant perspectives into the fundamental immunological mechanisms of this disorder. Objective The study target was to assess the clinical significance of neural autoantibody biomarkers in patients with epilepsy and determine the types of autoimmune epilepsy. Materials and methods A case–control study that comprised 50 epilepsy patients (33 males and 17 females) and 40 controls (21 males and 19 females), the patients and controls attending Basrah Teaching Hospital between November 2022 and March 2023, Basrah City, Southern Iraq. The control age ranged from 2 to 62 years and patients’ age 2–68 years were considered the control group in this study. The VGKC, AMPA GluR3, GAD65, and LGI1 were measured using the sandwich ELISA technique. Results and conclusion There is no statistically significant difference between the patients and control group for VGKC, GAD65, and LGI1 (P=0.460, P=0.061, and P=0.440, respectively), while there is a statistically significant difference between the patients and the control group for AMPA GluR3 (P=0.012). GAD65 appeared an elevation in epilepsy patients but was not statistically significant. This upregulation may contribute to the hyperexcitability observed in the epileptic brain and potentially play a role in seizure generation and propagation.