Evaluation of serum thiol-disulphide homeostasis parameters as oxidative stress markers in epilepsy patients

The present study focuses on the investigation of the dynamic thiol-disulphide homeostasis in patients with epilepsy and understanding the effects of antiepileptic drugs on thiol levels. A total of 148 participants, 75 of whom had epilepsy and 73 were healthy volunteers, were included in the study. Total thiol and native thiol levels of all epilepsy patients and healthy volunteers were measured. Disulphide level, disulphide/native thiol, disulphide/total thiol and native/total thiol ratios were calculated from these values. The results were compared between epilepsy patients and healthy volunteers. A statistically significant difference was found between native thiol level, total thiol level, disulphide level, disulfide/total thiol, disulphide/native thiol and native/total thiol ratios between patients with epilepsy and healthy volunteers (p = 0.002, p = 0.035, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). The drugs used had a significant effect on disulphide, disulphide/total thiol, native/total thiol levels (p values 0.004, 0.009, 0.009, respectively). Decreased levels of serum native, total thiol and increased disulfide levels as parameters of oxidative stress may be considered as parameters to explain the pathogenesis or consequences of epilepsy.