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Updated: Sep 21, 2025
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Published on: September 1, 2023
Circulating malondialdehyde level in patients with epilepsy: A meta-analysis
Huaiyu Sun1, Jiaai Li1, Buajieerguli Maimaiti1
1Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China.
Purpose:
Malondialdehyde (MDA) is an oxidative stress marker that determines the impact of oxidation on MDA levels in patients with epilepsy (PWE) and healthy controls.
Methods:
A meta-analysis was performed on 15 published studies. A total of 559 PWE and 853 healthy controls were included to evaluate the MDA levels in erythrocytes, serum, and plasma, respectively.
Results:
Meta-analysis showed that MDA levels were significantly higher in PWE than in healthy controls. Moreover, the meta-analysis demonstrated that MDA levels were increased in three subgroups of serum, plasma, and red blood cells from epileptic patients compared with the control group. Differentiating the subgroups according to the proportion of female patients, region, and MDA detection method showed that MDA levels in epileptic patients were higher than in healthy controls. In addition, MDA levels were significantly higher in the Asian subgroup than in the non-Asian subgroup. There was no potential publication bias. The age of the patients, the proportion of female patients, the region, and methods for measuring MDA of the included studies did not cause heterogeneity.
Conclusion:
Our results showed increased MDA levels in erythrocytes, serum, and plasma in PWE, which may be an indicator of oxidative damage in epilepsy. This is the first meta-analysis of circulating MDA levels in PWE and healthy controls.
Insights
Patients with epilepsy (PWE) show significantly higher malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, a marker of oxidative stress, in their blood compared to healthy individuals. This meta-analysis confirms MDA as a potential indicator of oxidative damage in epilepsy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Medical Research
Background:
- Oxidative stress plays a role in the pathophysiology of epilepsy.
- Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a key biomarker for assessing oxidative damage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a meta-analysis evaluating circulating malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in patients with epilepsy (PWE) compared to healthy controls.
- To determine if MDA levels differ across various sample types (erythrocytes, serum, plasma) in PWE.
Main Methods:
- A systematic meta-analysis of 15 published studies.
- Inclusion of data from 559 PWE and 853 healthy controls.
- Analysis of MDA levels in erythrocytes, serum, and plasma.
Main Results:
- Significantly elevated MDA levels were observed in PWE across serum, plasma, and red blood cells compared to controls.
- Subgroup analyses by sex, region, and detection method consistently showed higher MDA in PWE.
- MDA levels were notably higher in Asian PWE compared to non-Asian PWE.
Conclusions:
- Circulating MDA levels are significantly increased in PWE, suggesting its role as a potential indicator of oxidative damage in epilepsy.
- This meta-analysis represents the first comprehensive evaluation of circulating MDA levels in PWE.
- Findings highlight the utility of MDA as a biomarker in epilepsy research.
