Serum aspirin-esterase activity in epileptic patients receiving treatment with phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine and valproic acid.

Serum aspirin-esterase activity was studied in a group of epileptic patients under treatment with phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine and valproic acid, and a group of healthy controls. Serum rates of hydrolytic activity as well as serum esterase activity were found to be higher in epileptics (p less than 0.001) than in controls. The findings suggest that the above-mentioned antiepileptic drugs may induce plasma esterase activity, thus leading to increases in serum hydrolytic activity in epileptic subjects. On the other hand, no sex or albumin-related differences were observed in serum aspirin-esterase activity in the groups investigated.