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First and Second Trimester Biochemical Markers in Maternal Epilepsy: A Case-Control Study.
Aysegul Oksuzoglu1, Yaprak Engin Ustun1, Ayla Aktulay1
1a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Fetal and Pediatric Pathology
|September 25, 2018
Summary
Pregnant women with epilepsy show higher second-trimester estriol levels. This study investigated maternal serum analytes in epilepsy during pregnancy, finding elevated estriol in the second trimester for epileptic mothers.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Neurology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Epilepsy in pregnancy presents unique challenges for maternal and fetal health.
- Maternal serum analytes are crucial biochemical markers used in prenatal screening.
- Understanding biochemical changes in pregnant women with epilepsy is vital for improved care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if maternal serum levels of key biochemical markers differ in pregnant women with epilepsy compared to non-epileptic controls.
- To investigate potential alterations in first and second-trimester serum analytes associated with epilepsy during pregnancy.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 122 pregnant women with epilepsy and 122 healthy pregnant controls.
- Maternal serum samples were analyzed for estriol, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), free β hCG, and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A.
- Serum samples were collected during the first (11-13 6/7 weeks) and second (16-18 weeks) trimesters of gestation.
Main Results:
- Second-trimester serum estriol levels were significantly higher in women with epilepsy (1.55 ± 0.77 MoM) compared to controls (1.13 ± 0.40 MoM) (p < 0.001).
- A majority of women with epilepsy (66.3%) were undergoing treatment with antiepileptic drugs.
- No significant differences were noted for other tested analytes (AFP, hCG, free β hCG, PAPP-A) in the first or second trimesters (data not shown).
Conclusions:
- Pregnant women with epilepsy, even without other complications, exhibit elevated second-trimester estriol levels.
- These findings suggest a potential biochemical marker alteration in pregnant individuals with epilepsy.
- Further research is warranted to understand the clinical implications of these elevated estriol levels in epilepsy during pregnancy.
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