Relationship of serum ATPase activity and the levels of neuron- specific enolase, S100B and B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 with cognitive function after epileptic seizure

Background: To analyze the relationship of serum ATPase activity and the levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), S100B protein and B-cell lymphoma/leukemia (Bcl)-2 with cognitive function in patients after epileptic seizure.

Methods: A total of 65 epilepsy patients were enrolled as the epilepsy group from the hospital between May 2017 and February 2019. A control group was formed by 30 healthy volunteers at the same period and in the same area whose basic data matched with those of the epileptic patients. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Form (MoCA). Time and frequency of epileptic seizures were recorded in epileptic group. Within 6 hours following the attack, blood tests were carried out to measure the hydrolysis rates of serum adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP), phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity, and levels of serum NSE, S100B and Bcl-2. The relationship of these indexes with the time of epileptic seizure and MoCA total score was analyzed.

Results: The epilepsy group included 18 cases (27.69%) with cognitive dysfunction. The time and frequency of epileptic seizure in the patients with cognitive dysfunction was significantly higher than that of patients without cognitive dysfunction, while the total MoCA score was significantly lower with cognitive dysfunction than that without (P<0.05). The total MoCA score of epileptic patients with and without cognitive dysfunction was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). The hydrolysis rates of ATP, ADP and AMP, PDE activity, and serum NES, S100B and Bcl-2 levels in patients with cognitive dysfunction were significantly higher than those without cognitive dysfunction (P<0.05). The above serum indexes of the patients were significantly higher than those of people in the control group (P<0.05). Spearman's correlation analysis showed that hydrolysis rates of serum ATP, ADP and AMP, PDE activity, and serum NES, S100B and Bcl-2 levels were positively correlated with time and frequency of epileptic seizure (P<0.05), and negatively correlated with total MoCA score (P<0.05).

Conclusions: The cognitive function of epilepsy patients is significantly decreased compared with that of healthy individuals. Serum ATPase activity, along with serum NES, S100B and Bcl-2 levels, is associated with time and frequency of epileptic seizure and cognitive function after attack.

Keywords: ATPase activity; B-cell lymphoma/leukemia (Bcl); Epilepsy; cognitive function; neuron-specific enolase (NSE).