Evaluation of telomere length in children with epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic disease characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. Telomere length (TL) is a biological marker for stress and cellular ageing and is essential for maintaining the stability of genetic material. Understanding telomeres can unveil new opportunities for innovative molecular targets and significant implications for diagnosis and treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate an association between telomere length in children with epilepsy. This is a single-center, cross-sectional study with 100 participants, which was carried out between December 2021 and September 2023 in Eskisehir Osmangazi University Hospital, Department of Pediatric Health and Diseases. The epilepsy group consisted of 54% males and the control group consisted of 52% males. The median age of children in the epilepsy group was 144 months. Eight (16%) children in the epilepsy group and twenty-one (42%) children in the control group were born preterm. Forty-six (92%) children with epilepsy presented with generalized seizures. Thirty-two (64%) children had pathological EEG results. Nine (18%) children were considered as drug resistant epilepsy (DRE) patients. The results of the study did not demonstrate a correlation between TL in children with epilepsy. Although statistically unsignificant, the total telomere length (TTL) (0,73 [0,36–2,32] Mb) and the end of chromosome telomere length (CTL) in the epilepsy group (7,94 [3,91–25,11] kb) was shorter than the control group (0,87 [0,39–2,31] Mb, 9,41 [4,24–25,11] kb respectively). The difference in TL between children with DRE was not statistically significant. The TTL and CTL values of the females were longer (p<0.05). The TTL and the CTL values of children with a family history of epilepsy were longer (p<0.05). Despite being statistically unsignificant, those who were breastfed for more than 6 months, born preterm, and born via NSVD had longer TTL and CTL values. Additional studies are essential to evaluate and explore the factors influencing the rate of telomere attrition and the relationship of TL in children with epilepsy. Key words: Epilepsy, Telomere, Telomere Length, Drug Resistant Epilepsy, Children