Vieri Melissa Krizia, Hotterbeekx An, Mandro Michel, Siewe Fodjo Joseph Nelson, Dusabimana Alfred, Nyisi Francoise, Mukendi Deby, Gwatsvaira Joe, Kumar-Singh Samir, Colebunders Robert
Global Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
Global Health Institute, Gouverneur Kinsbergencentrum, University of Antwerp, Doornstraat 331, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
Pathogens. 2021 Jun 8;10(6):720. doi: 10.3390/pathogens10060720.
Onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE) is a devastating childhood disorder occurring in areas with high transmission. Despite epidemiological evidence showing the association between and epilepsy, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Since high levels of serotonin are known to induce seizures, we investigated serotonin levels in persons with OAE and controls selected from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Serum serotonin levels were determined by ELISA in 19 persons with OAE, 32 persons with epilepsy without infection, 18 with infection but without epilepsy, and 35 with neither infection nor epilepsy. infection was diagnosed by skin snip testing and/or OV16 antibody detection. Serum serotonin levels were significantly decreased in persons with OAE compared to persons with infection and no epilepsy. In conclusion, an increased serotonin level is unable to explain the pathogenesis of OAE. Other hypotheses to identify the causal mechanism of OAE will need to be investigated.
盘尾丝虫病相关癫痫（OAE）是一种在传播率高的地区出现的毁灭性儿童疾病。尽管流行病学证据表明盘尾丝虫病与癫痫之间存在关联，但其潜在机制仍然未知。由于已知高水平的血清素会诱发癫痫发作，我们对从刚果民主共和国选取的OAE患者和对照者的血清素水平进行了调查。通过酶联免疫吸附测定法（ELISA）测定了19例OAE患者、32例无盘尾丝虫病感染的癫痫患者、18例有盘尾丝虫病感染但无癫痫的患者以及35例既无盘尾丝虫病感染也无癫痫的患者的血清血清素水平。通过皮肤切片检查和/或OV16抗体检测诊断盘尾丝虫病感染。与有盘尾丝虫病感染但无癫痫的患者相比，OAE患者的血清血清素水平显著降低。总之，血清素水平升高无法解释OAE的发病机制。需要研究其他假说以确定OAE的致病机制。
