Romanian Journal of Neurology (Jun 2017)

Evaluation of sodium valproate levels in malnourished childhood epilepsy and its consequences

  • Vishwanath Reddy Gampala,
  • Sampath Raj Peraboina,
  • Sudhakar Ajmeera,
  • Sirisha Kalam,
  • Nagesh Adla,
  • Goverdhan Puchchakayala

DOI
https://doi.org/10.37897/RJN.2017.2.3
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 2
pp. 53 – 60

Abstract

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Objectives. To measure and compare free fraction of serum levels of VPA (valproic acid) between non-malnourished and malnourished epileptic children and to evaluate the adverse effects (myopathy, hepatotoxicity). Material and methods. It is a prospective comparative observational case control study in which forty epileptic children (malnourished: 18 male/8 female, age 8.3±2.5, non-malnourished: 8 male/6 female, age 8.1±2.1) who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were recruited as study group and twenty children as control group (12male/8 female, age 6.0±2.8). Outcome measures monitored are serum VPA levels (total and free fraction of serum VPA), serum CK (creatinine kinase), SGOT (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase) and SGPT (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase). Using screening tool for the assessment of malnutrition in pediatrics (STAMP©), subjects are categorized into mild, moderate, severe malnourished as -1SD, -2SD, -3SD respectively. Outcomes. There is an elevation in mean free fraction of VPA is 17.3±6.4 μg/ml whereas in non-malnourished group it was found to be 8.7±4.2 μg/ml with P= <0.001. While mean total drug concentration in malnourished and non-malnourished was found to be 88.6±49.9 μg/ml, 70.8±33.9 μg/ml respectively, mean CK, SGOT, SGPT in control is 29.3±9.9IU/L, 28.5±5.4 IU/L,24.5±4.2 IU/L respectively. Whereas mean CK, SGOT, SGPT in malnourished subjects is 16.9±9.1 IU/L, 28.8±8.5 IU/L,25.9±9.1 IU/L. Correspondingly, while mean CK, SGOT, SGPT in non-malnourished individuals is 15.7±11.3 IU/L,32.4±8.8 IU/L, 28.7±7.8 IU/L respectively, no correlation was observed between elevated serum drug concentrations, clinical response and side effects. Conclusion. We observed that clinical response and side effects are serum concentration independent hence our research make unnecessary to monitor serum drug concentration for every individual and drug monitoring should be restricted to subjects with severe ADR’s. Our data also suggest Valproate unveiled mitochondrial myopathy is limited to subgroup of population.

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