RESUMO
The relation between epilepsy and endocrine system is very important as neuroendocrinological studies on epileptic seizures elucidate part of the mechanisms of the brain function underlying epilepsy. Ghrelin is a growth hormone secretagogue secreted primarily by stomach cells with lesser amounts secreted by other cells. The aim of this study is to compare serum ghrelin level in epileptic children with control group. The study included 40 children with epilepsy and 12 healthy children as controls. They were selected from Neurologic Clinic and inpatient ward of Pediatric Department, Suzan Moubarak Hospital for Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, El-Rflinia University. Epileptic children were divided into partial or generalized epilepsy and both of them divided according receiving valproate therapy or not started antiepileptic drugs [AED] therapy. Serum level of ghrelin was estimated by ELIZA technique. The study showed that all epileptic children had significantly higher serum ghrelin level than that of the control group [p < 0.001]. All children with partial epilepsy had significantly higher level of ghrelin than those with generalized epilepsy [p < 0.01]. There were insignificant difference between the level of serum ghrelin in all epileptic children under valproate therapy and those don't started any AED therapy. Also no significant differences among both generalized and partial epilepsy under valproate therapy than the levels in epileptic children of both groups not under AED therapy [p > 0.05]. We conclude that ghrelin level increase in all epileptic children and in both generalized and partial epileptic groups when compared with control. Also there was significant higher level in partial epileptic children than the level in generalized epileptic children. There was no effect of valproate therapy on the levels of serum ghrelin in both partial and generalized epileptic children