Oxidative stress in children affected by epileptic encephalopathies

Oxidative stress may lead to abnormal peroxidation of membrane lipids, oxidation of sulfhydryl groups and disruption of nucleic acids. Experimental and clinical studies suggested that free radicals may be involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Three groups of patients were considered in the study. Group 1 (N=34) included patients affected by epileptic encephalopathy; Group 2 (N=31) included those affected by idiopathic epilepsy syndromes and under valproic acid (VPA) monotherapy, and Group 3 (N=22) represented by healthy controls. All patients and healthy children underwent blood withdrawals to evaluate redox status by measuring levels of F2-isoprostanes (F2-iso), advanced oxidative protein products (AOPP), non-protein binding iron (NPBI), thiols (-SH groups), and total hydroperoxides (TH). In comparison to the controls, Group 1 patients showed significantly higher plasma levels of F2-iso, AOPP, and TH. By contrast, no differences there were in the plasma NPBI concentrations. Again, no statistical differences there were in the plasma levels of the oxidative stress markers between patients from Group 2 and normal subjects. Our study showed that patients with epileptic encephalopathy have increased levels of oxidative stress markers. By contrast, normal redox status was observed in patients with idiopathic epilepsy syndromes under long-term VPA monotherapy.