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Altered IFN-γ Levels after Treatment of Epileptic Patients with Omega-3 Fatty Acids

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Abstract

Epilepsy is a frequent chronic disorder of the brain characterized by intermittent epileptic seizures caused by hypersynchronous discharge of neurons in the brain. Studies have reported the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, and a number of investigations have shown decreased levels of omega-3 fatty acids in epileptic patients. We investigated differences in serum levels of two cytokines, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and interferon (IFN)-γ, in 40 epileptic cases prior to and after treatment with omega-3 fatty acids. IFN-γ levels were significantly increased after the 16-week treatment period (P < 0.001). However, TGF-β levels remained unchanged (P = 0.14). Omega-3 fatty acid treatment may alter the immune response in epileptic patients. This should be considered in prescription of omega-3 fatty acid supplements in these patients. Future studies with larger sample sizes should verify the results of the current study.

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Data Availability

The data sets generated and analyzed during the study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This study was financially supported by Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard

  2. Medical Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

    Mahnaz Hashemi

  3. Medical Genetics Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Mahboobeh Rafigh

  4. Student Research Committee, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Amin Omrani

  5. Pharmacognosy Department, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq

    Bashdar Mahmud Hussen

  6. Urogenital Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Arezou Sayad

  7. Urology and Nephrology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Taheri

Authors
  1. Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard
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  2. Mahnaz Hashemi
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  3. Mahboobeh Rafigh
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  4. Mohammad Amin Omrani
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  5. Bashdar Mahmud Hussen
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  6. Arezou Sayad
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  7. Mohammad Taheri
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Contributions

SGF and MT wrote the manuscript and revised it. MAO and MH analyzed the data. AS, MR and BMH performed the experiment and designed the tables. All authors approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Arezou Sayad or Mohammad Taheri.

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Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent forms were obtained from all study participants. The study protocol was approved by the ethical committee of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (IR.SBMU.MSP.REC.1397.544). All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Ghafouri-Fard, S., Hashemi, M., Rafigh, M. et al. Altered IFN-γ Levels after Treatment of Epileptic Patients with Omega-3 Fatty Acids. J Mol Neurosci 71, 2364–2367 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-021-01804-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-021-01804-y

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