A study on opioid peptides in CSF of patients with epilepsy.

The contents of L-EK, M-EK and beta-EP in CSF of 32 epileptics and 24 controls were determined by RIA. The mean L-EK content of epileptics was significantly higher than that of the controls (P less than 0.01). There were no obvious changes with respect to mean M-EK and beta-EP contents. No significant differences were seen in L-EK contents between generalized and partial seizures, treated and untreated with antiepileptic drugs, normal and abnormal CT manifestation patient groups. These data indicated that endogenous L-EK content was related to human epilepsy, and changes in opioid peptides were selective changes shared by different types of seizures. The increase of L-EK content was not caused by taking antiepileptic drugs, nor due to structural pathological changes of the brain that might be found on CT scanning, but a manifestation of neurochemical disorders of the brain that resulted in epilepsy.