Changes Of Serum Cytokine And Beta-amyloid Protein(βAP_1-28) In Patients With Epilepsy

Purpose: To investigate the changes of serum interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumornecrosis factor alpha (TNF-a ) and beta-amyloid protein (P -APi.2g) levels, definite the roles of them in the etiology of epilepsy, and analyze the correlation in the pathogenesis of epilepsy.Methods : The serum was obtained from 36 patients with epilepsy, 10 patients with vascular dementia, 18 patients with acute cerebral ischemia, and 40 cases of normal denotes. By using radio-immunity technique, the levels of IL-8, TNF- a and P -APi-28 from the serum of four groups were determined. By using software of SPSS and Origin, the results were analysed.Results: The levels of serum IL-8 in epileptic patients were significantly increased (0.85 1.38ng/ml, n=24, Mean SD) than those in patients with vascular dementia (0.17 0.04ng/ml, n=6) , in patients with acute cerebral ischemia (0.06 0.03ng/ml, n=17), and in normal control (0.04 + 0.03 ng/ml, n=37), PO.001, respectively. The serum TNF- a levels were also significantly increased in patients with epilepsy (1.56 + 0.84 ng/ml, n=13), compared with those in patients with vascular dementia (1.39 0.22ng/ml, n=6), and in normal control (1.27?.46 ng/ml, n=ll), P<0.001, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the levels of serum IL-8 and TNF-a in epileptic patients(r=0.90,. Y=0.06+5.81X, PO.001). The levels of serum p-APi-28 in epileptic patients were significantly increased (1.22 + 0.87ng/ml, n=31) than those in patients with vascular dementia (0.56 0.12ng/ml, n=4), in patients with acute cerebral ischemia (0.53 + 0.20ng/ml, n=18), and in normal control (0.42 + 0.16 ng/ml, n=40), PO.001, respectively. There was also a positive correlation between the length of epileptic course and the increased serum p-APi.28 levels inepileptic patients (r=0.90, Y = 0.66 + 0.13X, P<0.01), and a negative correlation between the serum p-APi-28 and IL-8 levels in epileptic patients (r=0.50, Y = 1.90-0.29X, P<0.05). Conclusions :1. The increased levels of serum interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor- a in epileptic patients may be some risk factors in the immunological etiology of epilepsy. Beta-amyloid protein(l-28) plays the role of neurotoxin which leads to seizure.2. There is a positive correlation between interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-a in the serum of the patients with epilepsy. Both of them play roles in the immunological etiology of epilepsy and influence each other.3.The result from the analysis between the length of epileptic course and beta-amyloid protein(1-28) indicates that there is a positive correlation between epileptic course and beta-amyloid protein(1-28). With the progresses of epilepsy, the concentration of beta-amyloid protein(1-28) is increased, which plays role of neurotoxin and leads to the neuron necrosis or degeneration.