Reduced natural killer cell activity and OKT4/OKT8 ratio in epileptic patients

A number of immune abnormalities have been found in epileptic patients. Several, but not all, of these defects appear to be related to the toxic effects of antiseizure medications. To study the basis of immune abnormalities in epilepsy, various populations and subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from epileptic patients were enumerated and their functions examined. Reduced natural killer cell activity was found in the patients and their siblings. Enumeration of the PBMC showed a lower proportions of Leu 11+ cells in some of the patients which may account for the lower natural killer activity. A reduced ratio of OKT4+/OKT8+ cells was also found in the patients. Responses of patient PBMC to the T-cell mitogens phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A and the B-cell mitogen pokeweed mitogen were unchanged as were the total number of rosette-forming cells in the patients. The results provide more evidence for a genetic basis for some of the immune abnormalities in epileptic patients.