Correlation between 1H-MRS metabolites in hippocampal and T lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the correlation between 1H-MRS in hippocampus and peripheral blood cytokines and T lymphocyte subsets in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, and to explore the relationship between immune dysfunction and the degree of neuronal injury. Methods:Fifty patients with temporal lobe epilepsy were selected from Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from October 2020 to July 2021.Clinical data of all patients were collected and they were divided into two groups according to MRI results of epileptic sequence abnormal hippocampal MRI group ( n=20) and normal hippocampal MRI group ( n=30). Bilateral 1H-MRS scanning of hippocampal and detection of T lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in peripheral blood during interictal period were performed in both groups. The levels of hippocampal metabolites NAA, NAA/(Cr+ Cho), T lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in peripheral blood of the two groups were compared.At the same time, the levels of NAA and NAA/ (Cr+ Cho) in the hippocampus on the abnormal side and the normal side in the abnormal hippocampal MRI group were compared within the group. Finally, the correlation between the levels of metabolites NAA, NAA/ (Cr+ Cho) in the hippocampus on the abnormal side obtained by 1H-MRS scanning and T lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in the abnormal group of MRI was analyzed. The data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 26.0 software. Independent sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between the two groups. Paired sample t-test was used for intra group comparison of different sides. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between each index. Results:The NAA and NAA/(Cr+ Cho) values of the abnormal MRI group(normal side NAA (1.22±0.37), NAA/(Cr+ Cho) (0.56±0.15). abnormal side NAA (1.02±0.34), NAA/(Cr+ Cho) (0.48±0.13)) were significantly lower than those of the normal MRI group (NAA (1.51±0.36), NAA/(Cr+ Cho) (0.73±0.19))(NAA t=2.705, 4.800, both P<0 05; NAA/(Cr+ Cho) t=3.394, 4.914, both P<0 05). The values of NAA and NAA/(Cr+ Cho) in the abnormal side in the MRI abnormal group were significantly lower than those in the normal side( t=6.467, P<0 05). The levels of IL-1β(11.19(3.56, 20.98)pg/ml), IL-5 (3.12(1.86, 6.41)pg/ml), TNF-α(2.55(1.19, 8.28)pg/ml), CD4+ T lymphocytes((43.13±6.82)%) and Th/Ts((1.96±0.66)) in the hippocampal MRI abnormal group were significantly higher than those in normal MRI group (IL-1β 3.27(1.63, 6.17)pg/ml, IL-5 1.15(0.96, 2.96)pg/ml, TNF-α 1.34(1.02, 2.36)pg/ml, CD4+ T (38.01±7.21)%, Th/Ts (1.48±0.53))( Z=-3.041, -2.516, -2.496, all P<0.05; t=2.511, 2.810, both P<0 05). The level of CD8+ T ((23.48±5.33)%) in peripheral blood of abnormal MRI group was significantly lower than that of normal group CD8+ T((27.18±6.08)%)( t=2.210, P<0.05). In the abnormal MRI group, the levels of NAA and NAA/ (Cr+ Cho) in the abnormal hippocampus were negatively correlated with the levels of IL-1β, IL-5 and TNF- α ( r=-0.612--0.463, all P<0.05), and positively correlated with CD8+ T lymphocytes ( r=0.537, 0.478, P<0.05). Conclusion:There is neuronal damage and dysfunction in the abnormal hippocampal region of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with abnormal hippocampal formation, and the degree of neuronal damage is highly correlated with CD8+ T lymphocytes, IL-5, IL-1β and TNF-α in peripheral blood. The imbalance of interictal lymphocyte subsets and chronic inflammatory response may play an important role in the pathogenesis of epilepsy and neuronal injury .