Nodding syndrome in Tanzania may not be associated with circulating anti-NMDA-and anti-VGKC receptor antibodies or decreased pyridoxal phosphate serum levels-a pilot study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Nodding syndrome (NS) is a seemingly progressive epilepsy disorder of unknown underlying cause. We investigated association of pyridoxal-phosphate serum levels and occurrence of anti-neuronal antibodies against N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and voltage gated potassium channel (VGKC) complex in NS patients.

METHODS:

Sera of a Tanzanian cohort of epilepsy and NS patients and community controls were tested for the presence of anti-NMDA-receptor and anti-VGKC complex antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Furthermore pyridoxal-phosphate levels were measured.

RESULTS:

Auto-antibodies against NMDA receptor or VGKC (LG1 or Caspr2) complex were not detected in sera of patients suffering from NS (n=6), NS plus other seizure types (n=16), primary generalized epilepsy (n=1) and community controls without epilepsy (n=7). Median Pyridoxal-phosphate levels in patients with NS compared to patients with primary generalized seizures and community controls were not significantly different. However, these median pyridoxal-phosphate levels are significantly lower compared to the range considered normal in Europeans.

CONCLUSIONS:

In this pilot study NS was not associated with serum anti-NMDA receptor or anti-VGKC complex antibodies and no association to pyridoxal-phosphate serum levels was found.

• Authors: Anelia Dietmann, Bernd Wallner, Rebekka König, Katrin Friedrich, Bettina Pfausler, Florian Deisenhammer, Andrea Griesmacher, Christoph Seger, William Matuja, Louise JilekAall, Andrea S Winkler, Erich Schmutzhard
• Journal: African health sciences (Afr Health Sci) Vol. 14 Issue 2 Pg. 434-8 (Jun 2014) ISSN: 1729-0503 [Electronic] Uganda
• PMID: 25320594 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Autoantibodies
• Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated
• Pyridoxal Phosphate
• N-Methylaspartate

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Autoantibodies (blood, immunology)
• Case-Control Studies
• Epilepsy (blood, immunology)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• N-Methylaspartate (blood, immunology)
• Neurons (immunology)
• Nodding Syndrome
• Pilot Projects
• Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated (blood, immunology)
• Pyridoxal Phosphate (blood)
• Seizures (blood, immunology)
• Tanzania