The effects of carbamazepine and valproate on immunological assessment in epileptic young patients

Serum immunoglobulin levels and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were determined in 25 epileptic children treated with anticonvulsant drugs [carbamazepine (CBZ) or sodium valproate (VPA)], 17 untreated patients and 18 healthy subjects. The treated and untreated patients did not differ significantly from the controls with respect to the mean IgA, IgG, IgM values or lymphocyte subsets. The patients on carbamazepine had lower serum concentrations of IgG (though not significantly lower) than the untreated patients and children on valproate. OKT8 subset, in absolute terms and as a percentage of total lymphocytes, was significantly higher in generalized than in partial epilepsy, but this was probably due to the antiepileptic treatment. We found a sex difference in serum immunoglobulins (Ig M, IgG) in the epileptic group. Our data do not seem to argue for major changes in immune status related to clinical type of epilepsy or to VPA or CBZ treatment.