Pretreatment and after treatment, ghrelin and obestatin levels in serum, urine, saliva in patients with childhood epilepsy

Pretreatment and after treatment, ghrelın and obestatın levels ın serum, urıne, salıva ın patıents wıth chıldhood epilepsyEpilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in childhood. In the studies on patients with epilepsy, neuroendocrin sysytem relationship is known. The relationship of ghrelin known as an appetite hormon with weight gain as a side effect of valproic acid which has been frequently used in treatment of epilepsy, was put on front by the studies on patients with epilepsy and the contradiction in results related to ghrelin levels was seen. It was proposed that the application of ghrelin was reduced frequency and duration of convulsions. Against appetite increasing effect of ghrelin, the relation of epilepsy with obestatine which decrease appetite is unclear.In this study, we aimed to determine acyl ghrelin, deacyl ghrelin and obestatin levels in serum, urine, salivary in pretreatment period and in the 3rd month of treatment, and to find out possible relationships among the parameters in patients with recently diagnosed idiopathic generalized childhood epilepsy.30 patients (14 girls, 16 boys) with idiopathic generalized epilepsy, treated with 20-25 mg/kg valproic acid, aged between 4 and 12years, and 30 healthy children (12 girls, 17 boys), aged between 15-12 years were included to this study. In this study, when compared with the pretreatment levels and levels of the control groups, without increase in body-mass index in patients with childhood epilepsy treated with valproic acid acyl ghrelin, deacyl ghrelin, and obestatin levels in serum, urine, saliva were not found statistically significant in 3rd month of the treatment (p>0.05). In addition, the difference between ghrelin and obestatin levels in serum, saliva, and urine was not detected.As a result, in the patients with childhood idiopathic generalized epilepsy treated with valproic acid, without increase in their body mass index, no change in acyl ghrelin, deacyl ghrelin, and obestatin levels of serum, saliva, and urine were found at the 3rd month after the treatment, this supports that body mass index can be most important factor on ghrelin levels.Key Words: Epilepsy, ghrelin, obestatin