[Auto-cholinergic synapse dysfunction in patients with generalized epileptic seizures. A preliminary report]

The mechanism of epileptic seizures so far remains unclear. Immunological disturbances may be one of the possible mechanisms. The assumption that primary epilepsy is an autoimmune disease lacks an experimental basis. In order to search any relationship between generalized epileptic seizures and autoimmune we examined and measured the serum anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody (A AchR Ab) and anti-synaptic premembrane antibody (A PrM Ab) in 12 patients with typical absences, 20 patients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTC) and 6 patients with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. 2 (16.7%) out of 12 patients with absences showed positive both A AchR Ab and A PrM Ab, positive A AchR Ab in 1 patient. Among 20 patients with GTC both A AchR Ab and A PrM Ab were positive in 7 patients (35%), A PrM Ab was positive in 1 patient. Totally in 8 patients A PrM Ab was positive. However, the difference between the two Antibodies was not significant (1.1:1). The two kinds of antibody were positive in 5 (83%) out of 6 patients and A PrM Ab was positive, but A AchR Ab was doubtful in another one patient with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Therefore, all the patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome showed positive antibody. Our data suggested that different types of generalized epileptic-seizures showed different severity of autoimmune dysfunction. The meaning of this kind of immune dysfunction needs further investigation.