RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To study oxidative stress in young patients with focal symptomatic and cryptogenic epilepsy and after the new-onset epileptic seizures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients, aged from 19 to 44 years, were distributed into three groups, 30 patients in each: patients after a few (first) epileptic seizures, patients in the clinical remission that has lasted at least one year, and patients with treatment-resistant epileptic seizures. The control group included 20 healthy people. Parameters of the pro-oxidant status (TBA-reactive products) and the antioxidant defense (total superoxide-scavenging activity, catalase, total antioxidant activity, and reduced thiols (SH groups)) were measured in the blood plasma. RESULTS: No significant differences in the concentrations of TBA-reactive products were identified in patients with epilepsy compared with healthy controls while concentrations of reduced SH groups, total superoxide-scavenging activity, catalase activity and the total antioxidant activity were significantly decreased in patients. In addition, some of the parameters displayed significant differences between different groups of patients. CONCLUSION: In patients with epilepsy, the changes in the free-radical processes are seen already after the first seizures and persist in the treatment-resistant epilepsy and in clinical remission. Since the parameters of the activity of the antioxidant defense are significantly different in different groups of patients, one can assume that different elements of the oxidative stress are present after the first epileptic seizures and in different courses of the disease.
Asunto(s)
Epilepsia , Adulto , Antioxidantes , Catalasa , Humanos , Estrés Oxidativo , Convulsiones , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
This article contains an analysis of clinical and experimental studies in which oxidative stress is considered as a possible mechanism in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Oxidative stress occurs as a result of brain damage after epileptic seizures and may later cause epileptogenesis. Patients with epilepsy showed a high level of lipid peroxidation markers, while the activity of antioxidant defense system was low. The level of oxidative stress was shown to be significantly higher in epileptics with associated mental disorders and in patients with refractory epilepsy. Further study of oxidative stress in epilepsy may play the key role in the treatment of this disease.