VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY IN CHILDREN WITH EPILEPSY TAKING VALPORT AND LEVETIRACETAM AS MONOTHERAPY

The basic objective of this study is to analyze if “valproate” (VPA) and “levetiracetam” (LEV) as monotherapy may correlate with the deficiency of vitamin D in children affected with epilepsy. The base of this study is on cross-sectional clinical (consisted on epilepsy aetiology, seizure kinds, level of drugs, dosage and AED treatment duration) and testing of blood (consisted on 25-OHD, calcium, phosphorus and PTH) study which established in epileptic 90 children (consisted on AED group: 31 children receiving LEV and 59 children receiving VPA) with a control group (healthy subjects of 244). The category of 25-OHD was as low (30 ng/ml) or borderline (20-29 ng/ml). The VPA average dose was 20.7 ± 4.7 milligrams/kg/per day and the average dose of LEV was 24.1 ± 7.9 milligrams/kg/per day. VPA therapy mean duration was 2.5± 1.4 years and similarly the mean duration of LEV was 2.3 ± 1.6 years. In control group 25-OHD levels and mean calcium were typically higher (p < 0.05) and between 25-OHD and VPA there is negative correlation (p < 0.01) and the percentage of Vitamin D deficiency was ominously higher (p < 0.05) in LEV (35.5%) and in VPA (24.1%) as compared with control group (with 14%). A different analysis of logistic regression represented that LEV monotherapy (OR: 3.3, CI 95%: 1.5-7.5) and VPA monotherapy (OR: 1.9, CI 95%: 1.1-3.8) were related with high risk of deficiency of Vitamin D. Accordingly, the vitamin D deficiency frequency is very common with epileptic children taking LEV or VPA. Therefore, the children status treated with LEV and VPA must be monitored on a regular basis and supplements of vitamin D must be considered on a personal basis. Keywords: Vitamin D Deficiency, Epilepsy, Valport, Levetiracetam, Monotherap