Background
Congenital toxoplasmosis may be without an obvious clinical picture at birth and AQ3
later present with variable signs and symptoms, mostly related to the central
nervous system. Cryptogenic epilepsy in children is one of those conditions
without obvious etiology and in which latent toxoplasmosis may be implicated.
Soluble cell adhesion molecules (sICAM-1) are circulating biomarkers of DNA shed
by living organisms and of pathogenic processes.
Aim
The present study aimed to investigate the possible association of Toxoplasma
gondii infection with cryptogenic epilepsy and to determine the increase in sICAM-1
level as an indicator of the possible role of Toxoplasma spp. in the pathogenesis of
cryptogenic epilepsy.
Materials and methods
Ninety children (40 with cryptogenic epilepsy, 30 with noncryptogenic epilepsy, and
20 healthy controls) were evaluated to determine exposure to T. gondii by means of
specific immunoglobulin (Ig) G seropositivity and the corresponding sICAM-1
serum levels. Respective specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits
were used.
Results
The level of T. gondii IgG antibody seropositivity was significantly higher among
children with cryptogenic epilepsy (20%) than among noncryptogenic epileptic
children (0%). In healthy controls, seropositivity was 10%. sICAM-1 was recorded
with variable levels, in all cases and controls (90%). In the cryptogenic group, the
level ranged from 3.13 to more than 50ng/ml, whereas it was lower in the AQ4
noncryptogenic control group, with a maximum sICAM-1 level of 25ng/ml. In the
healthy control group, only one case presented a sICAM-1 level of 25–50ng/ml. In
addition, among IgG-seropositive cases, five cases showed a high sICAM-1 level of
25–50ng/ml, whereas the remaining three IgG-seropositive cases showed lower
sICAM-1 level (12.6–25ng/ml). In healthy children, the two Toxoplasma spp. IgGseropositive
cases showed a sICAM-1 level of 3.13–25ng/ml.
Conclusion
The statistically significant results of IgG positivity among the crytptogenic cases
supported the possible association between T. gondii infection and cryptogenic
epilepsy and revealed the associated upregulation of sICAM-1 level in this
condition, thus suggesting that toxoplasmosis should be taken into
consideration as a predisposing factor in cryptogenic epilepsy |
