ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODIES AND EPILEPSY IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

Objective. To verify the possible relationship between the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) and the presence of epileptic seiz ures in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. A t otal of 168 patients with SLE were studied. Fifteen patients had antec edents of epilepsy which were non attributable to a cause other than S LE. Epilepsy was diagnosed on clinical and electroencephalographic gro unds. Antibodies to cardiolipin (CLa) and lupus anticoagulant (LA) wer e measured. Results. Epileptic seizures were generalized in 13 and par tial in two patients. The lupus anticoagulant was positive in 40% of p atients with epilepsy compared to 32% in the control group; CLa IgG in 53.5% compared to 65.6%, and CLa IgM in 40% compared to 35.2%. Differ ences were never statistically significant. Neither when patients with moderate/high CLa levels were studied. Seven patients (40%) had some of the classical manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome. Conclusi ons. No association was found between positive APLA and epilepsy in pa tients with SLE.