Biomarkers such as high-sensitive troponin T (hsTNT), copeptin, and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) may be helpful to identify cardiac stress after generalized convulsive seizures (GCS) in patients with refractory epilepsy, according to study results published in Epilepsia.
A total of 36 patients with refractory epilepsy (generalized-onset tonic clonic seizures [n=6] and focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures [n=30]) were enrolled in the study after undergoing video-electroencephalography monitoring with simultaneous one?lead electrocardiography recordings. At study enrollment and at various time points after GCS, researchers measured catecholamines and several cardiac biomarkers: cardiac troponin I (cTNI), hsTNT, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, copeptin, suppression of tumorigenicity-2, growth differentiation factor 15, suPAR, and heart-type fatty acid binding protein. In addition, the investigators analyzed heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and corrected QT intervals to assess periictal cardiac properties.