Evaluation of GFAP, S100B, and UCHL-1 Levels in Children With Refractory Epilepsy

INTRODUCTION: A number of biomarkers are used to evaluate the duration of the epileptic seizure and the interictal period following neuronal injury. Invasive diagnostic methods are increasingly being replaced by peripheral or minimally invasive biomarkers that give results faster and are more secure. PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S100B, and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (UCHL-1) levels in children with epilepsy. METHODS: Our study included 3 groups: a nonrefractory epilepsy group, a refractory epilepsy group, and a control group. The GFAP, S100B, and UCHL-1 levels in serum samples collected 2-24 hours after the last seizure were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: = .028). No significant differences were observed in the UCHL-1 levels between the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the observed differences may be due to the increased expression of S100B and GFAP caused by increased and repetitive neuronal damage in refractory epilepsies compared with nonrefractory epilepsies.