Abstract
Introduction: Serum levels of several biomarkers along with sensory responsiveness were investigated in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy patients in comparison with healthy controls. Methods: Ten epileptic patients (36.1 ± 3.4 years) and ten gender- and age-matched healthy controls were recruited. Mechanical sensitivity, cold pressor tolerance and serum levels of BDNF, CGRP, PGE2, S100B and TNF-α were investigated. Results: Mechanical sensitivity to pinprick was lower in patients (p < 0.05) while cold pain tolerance threshold was higher. Serum level of BDNF was higher in patients compared with controls (p < 0.01). The same pattern was evident for CGRP (p < 0.05). Serum level of PGE2 was lower in patients (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy patients had an altered serum biomarker pattern and sensory perception in comparison with controls.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The generous financial aid from the Dansk Epilepsiforening, Inge Berthelsen Legat, is highly appreciated. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Ethical conduct of research
The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.
Acknowledgements
Appreciation goes to the department Biomedical Laboratory Scientist Mai-Britt Seremet and the rest of personnel at the Department of Fractional Medicine and Blood Type Laboratory, FBE Clinical Immunology, Aalborg Hospital North for kind assistance and providing of laboratory facilities. Gratitude is also directed to the dedicated personnel at the Neurological Department, Aalborg Hospital North and Jeppe N Poulsen at the Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Biomedicine, Aalborg University for their kind assistance and providing the required facilities. This project was not possible without voluntarily participation of epilepsy patients.