Study of Myelin Basic Protein Associated with Pediatric Systematic Epilepsy

Objective: To investigate the quantitative myelin basic protein (MBP) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum in pediatric systematic epilepsy (SEP), study the relation between SEP and MBP, and the possibility predicating'the injury of myelin and blood-brain barrier (BBB) from pediatric SEP. Background: While tactors induced destroy of cerebral and Myelin, MBP was released out into CSF to increase its concentration. On the other hand, the BBB was involved to make serum MBP increased. The related studies had confirmed these viewpoints above. The test for quantitative MBP was recognized as the specific biochemical index, which diagnose if there is or not organic injury of cerebral and myelin. There was few reports about the studies of quantitative MBP in CSF and serum of EP, not mention to those published in domestic pediatric academia. Methods: 47 cases were studied during one month after the SEP attack, whose MBP in serum were quantitatively and 31 inside in CSF were also tested by easy MBP-ELISA method; the quantitative MBP in serum of 30 control cases and 10 in CSF were tested, too. Results: MBP values in CSF and serum of SEP pediatric patients were 2.95±0.61 ng/ml and 3.17±0.53 ng/ml; whereas 1.41 ±0.19 ng/ml and 1.30±0.04 ng/ml in control group. Both mean valves of MBP in CSF and serum in study group were significantly higher than control group (either P＜ 0.01). Discussion: In general, electrophysiological evidences supported the issue that epileptic episode was originated from abnormal electrical activities of nervous cells. Pathological studies revealed degeneration and necrosis of nerve existed in temporal epileptic focus, where there was morphological change of myelin. This study showed MBP values in CSF and serum of SEEP, during one month after attack, increased significantly; suggested there was changed component of MBP, while SEP could not be controled. Those above indicated the destroy of myelin, increasing of BBB permeability that induced its injured function. Conclusion: There were increasing values of MBP in CSF and serum in pediatric SEP, indicating a demyelinatting pathological course and injury of blood-brain barrier. The quantitative test for MBP in CSF and serum should be a reflecting biochemical index of CNS injury associated with SEP, and a prediction for its prognosis.