First and Second Trimester Biochemical Markers in Maternal Epilepsy: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Our aim is to investigate whether the maternal serum levels of first and second trimester serum analytes are altered in women with epilepsy in pregnancy.

Methods: Maternal serum biochemical markers (estriol, alpha-fetoprotein [AFP], human chorionic gonadotrophin [hCG], free β hCG, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A) were compared in a series of 122 pregnant women with epilepsy and in a cohort of 122 normal pregnant women. The serum samples were obtained between 11-13 6/7 weeks and 16-18 weeks gestation.

Results: Second trimester serum estriol levels, expressed as multiples of the median (MoM), in the epileptic group (1.55 ± 0.77 MoM) were significantly higher than those in the control patients (1.13 ± 0.40 MoM) (p < 0.001). Of the women with epilepsy, 66.3% (n = 81) were exposed to antiepileptic drugs.

Conclusion: Our study revealed that otherwise uncomplicated pregnant epileptic women had higher second trimester (18-20 weeks of gestation) estriol levels compared to non-epileptic pregnant women.