[News] Will Epilepsy be Considered Autoimmune?

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DayDreamer

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It has been a while since I have posted on this forum. Hello!

Autoimmune epilepsy is a new diagnosis and has therapy besides AEDs or surgery.

[B]http://epilepsycurrents.org/doi/pdf/10.5698/1535-7511.17.3.134?code=amep-site[/B]


There are many types of autoimmune epilepsy out there and they vary considerably. Some of them seem to respond well to immune therapy. I will be seeing a new neurologist to discuss some new possible therapy as I recently had autoimmune testing done and my GAD antibody levels were very abnormal. Who knows. If immune therapy doesn't work, maybe I just need to concentrate on GABA levels. (GAD) Glutamate decarboxylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the decarboxylation of glutamate to GABA, the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. These levels can also explain my type 1 diabetes and possibly other symptoms I have.


I was first diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of nineteen, then hypothyroidism four years at 23, then type 1 diabetes at thirty eleven years later. It is possible these other autoimmune conditions could be prevented if I started today with epilepsy and a blood test for antibodies.
 
B6 Enzymes

GAD65 autoantibodies and its role as biomarker of Type 1 diabetes and Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA)

In basic biochemical terms, L-Glutamic acid decarboxylase is the major enzyme in the synthesis of g-amino butyric acid (GABA) which is a potent inhibitory neurotransmitter and a critical component of neurophysiologic function. It requires a co-factor, pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (i.e. (PLP or activated vitamin B6] to catalyze this reaction.

The above quotes were taken from the following URL:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3411186/

_______________________

You may be interested in reading my posts which begin on page 6 of the following thread: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com...eneral-epilepsy-experiences-23950/index6.html

Here is a thread which I started over at Braintalk communities in 2008: http://www.braintalkcommunities.org/archives/06_11/showthread.php?t=36549


**DO NOT ALTER ANY MEDICATION WITHOUT YOUR DOCTOR'S CONSENT**
 
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I think some forms of epilepsy will be considered autoimmune, but perhaps not all. Certainly it's interesting to see how treatments are expanding to include those targeting autoimmune responses.
 
DayDreamer, the link in your post doesn't work and I'm not sure what article/page you were trying to share. Can you provide the correct link?
 
Daydreamer,

I have Epilepsy, too. Mine started when I was 22 years old. After I started taking Tegretol, I developed Hashimoto's, too. But it also runs in my family. After I had a left temporal lobectomy, I went thru a severe depression, so my shrink prescribed Zyprexa, which is also used for Bi-polar disorder. After taking it for just over a month, I noticed a big change in my vision, and went to my optometrist who then made the diagnosis of Diabetes. She asked if I had started any new meds and I told her about the ZYPREXA. So my point is, Epilepsy effects some women differently. While estrogen is involved, it will make seizures much more difficult to control. So maybe it is an autoimmune disorder when combined with hormonal issues.
 
Epilepsy Currents

“Autoimmune Epilepsy”: Encephalitis With Autoantibodies for Epileptologists

Christian G. Bien,1* Martin Holtkamp2 1Epilepsy Centre Bethel, Krankenhaus Mara, Bielefeld, Germany 2Epilepsy-Center Berlin-Brandenburg, Department of Neurology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany *Address correspondance to Christian G. Bien, Epilepsy Centre Bethel, Krankenhaus Mara, Maraweg 17-21, 33649 Bielefeld, Germany. E-Mail: <redacted>

Autoimmune encephalitides may account for epilepsies of so far unknown cause. These “autoimmune epilepsies” may respond well to immunotherapy. More than a dozen autoantibodies have been found with this constellation; therefore, broad autoantibody testing of serum-CSF pairs offers the best diagnostic yield. Several particular features raise the suspicion of an autoimmune cause in otherwise unexplained seizure disorders.

http://epilepsycurrents.org/doi/pdf/10.5698/1535-7511.17.3.134
 
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Therapy is very different for everyone, even people with one type of epilepsy need different treatment sometimes
 
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