Immunopathological mechanisms of preclinical epileptogenesis

The investigation of immune status features, a tiosulfide link of antioxidant system and also states of peptide metabolism were carried out on 62 patients with a preclinical stage of epilepsy. The subjects were divided into 4 groups: 1 group of the patients (n=14) with the diagnosed stage of regressed epileptogenesis, 2 - (n=16) with compensated epileptogenesis, 3 - (n=15) with increasing and 4 - (n=17) with decompensated epileptogenesis. Depression of humoral and cellular links of immunity was revealed and increasing disbalance of immunoreactivity systems from compensated up to decompensated immune failure of blended type was determined. The immune structure of T-peripheral blood lymphocytes of the patients displayed the change of CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ expression. Humoral immunity was characterized by decreasing of concentration of immunoglobulins A, M and, on the contrary, raising of IgE.

High concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines in a blood (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-2) and simultaneous augmentation of circulating cell-bound immune complexes in a blood plasma were marked. Steady growth of level of protein sulfhydryl groups and middle-molecular oligopeptides in the blood of patients was found to occur according to the preclinical stage of epilepsy development.

It was judged that the neuroautoimmune process is one of the most important links of epilepsy pathogenesis, especially in debut of the disease, on its preclinical stage.