Abstract
Background: Epilepsy is a neurological disorder with features of unpredictable epileptic seizures that are periodic and recurrent caused by variance in inhibitory and excitatory pathways in the central nervous system (CNS).
Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of HMGB1 in children with refractory epilepsy.
Subjects and methods: This case-control study included 42 children with refractory epilepsy who attended the pediatrics neurology unit and pediatric outpatient clinic at Zagazig university hospitals to investigate the diagnostic value of HMGB1 in children with refractory epilepsy and another healthy children group, who are at the same range of age with the patient group, was included as a control group.
Results: There was statistically significant higher HMGB1 concentration among our cases than controls. The cut-off point of HMGB1concentration was >7ng/ml. HMGB1 concentrations had high sensitivity (80.95%), specificity (69.05%), predictive positive value (72.3%), negative predictive value (78.4%) and accuracy (75%).
Conclusion: Refractory epilepsy among children remain a great concern and a massive challenge worldwide; despite advances in diagnostics and treatment, refractory epilepsy is still a major medical problem with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, novel biomarkers for early detection of refractory epilepsy should be used, for example; HMGB1 as a potential biomarker for early detection of refractory epilepsy.