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Published on: July 12, 2021
A rise in saliva and urine pH in children with SCN1A-related epilepsy: An exploratory prospective controlled study
Qian Lu1,2, Yang-Yang Wang1,2, Hui-Min Chen1,2
1Senior Department of Pediatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Insights
Children with SCN1A-related epilepsy show higher saliva and urine pH. This pH elevation is particularly notable in those experiencing seizures and Dravet syndrome, suggesting a potential biomarker for epilepsy severity.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- SCN1A gene mutations are linked to various epilepsy syndromes.
- Altered physiological parameters may be associated with SCN1A-related epilepsies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate salivary and urinary pH levels in pediatric patients with SCN1A-related epilepsy.
- To compare pH values between epileptic children and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, controlled observational study involving seven children with SCN1A-related epilepsy and seven healthy controls.
- Saliva and urine pH were measured using pH test paper over 21-95 days.
- Seizure occurrences were recorded to correlate with pH changes.
Main Results:
- Participants were 14 males aged 1-14 years, with seven patients having pathogenic SCN1A variants.
- Saliva and urine pH were consistently higher in the SCN1A-related epilepsy group compared to controls.
- Elevated urine pH was observed in patients with Dravet syndrome and in those experiencing seizures during the study.
Conclusions:
- Patients with SCN1A-related epilepsy exhibit chronically elevated saliva and urine pH.
- Higher urine pH correlates with seizure activity and Dravet syndrome within this patient cohort.
Objective:
SCN1A, encoding the alpha 1 subunit of the sodium channel, is associated with a range of related epilepsy. This study aims to assess saliva and urine pH in children with SCN1A-related epilepsy.
Methods:
A prospective controlled observational study with a 1:1 ratio was conducted on seven patients with SCN1A-related epilepsy and seven healthy children of the same family, gender, and age but without a history of seizures. The pH of saliva and urine was measured by pH test paper. Parents of patients with epilepsy recorded seizures to compare the relationship between pH and seizures.
Results:
The fourteen participants were all males, aged 1 to 14 years. Seven patients had different pathogenic SCN1A variants. The pH of saliva and urine was monitored for 21-95 days. The pH of saliva and urine was higher in patients with SCN1A-related epilepsy than in the healthy group. The urine pH in Dravet syndrome patients was high compared with other epilepsy patients. The urine pH in patients with seizures was higher than that in patients without seizures, which occurred during the study.
Conclusions:
The pH of saliva and urine was chronically high in patients with SCN1A-related epilepsy, and urine pH was higher in patients with seizures and with Dravet syndrome.
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