1
|
Scott RC, Moshé SL, Holmes GL. Do vaccines cause epilepsy? Review of cases in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Epilepsia 2024; 65:293-321. [PMID: 37914395 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), a no-fault alternative to the traditional tort system. Since 1988, the total compensation paid exceeds $5 billion. Although epilepsy is one of the leading reasons for filing a claim, there has been no review of the process and validity of the legal outcomes given current medical information. The objectives were to review the evolution of the VICP program in regard to vaccine-related epilepsy and assess the rationale behind decisions made by the court. METHODS Publicly available cases involving epilepsy claims in the VICP were searched through Westlaw and the US Court of Federal Claims websites. All published reports were reviewed for petitioner's theories supporting vaccine-induced epilepsy, respondent's counterarguments, the final decision regarding compensation, and the rationale underlying these decisions. The primary goal was to determine which factors went into decisions regarding whether vaccines caused epilepsy. RESULTS Since the first epilepsy case in 1989, there have been many changes in the program, including the removal of residual seizure disorder as a vaccine-related injury, publication of the Althen prongs, release of the acellular form of pertussis, and recognition that in genetic conditions the underlying genetic abnormality rather than the immunization causes epilepsy. We identified 532 unique cases with epilepsy: 105 with infantile spasms and 427 with epilepsy without infantile spasms. The petitioners' experts often espoused outdated, erroneous causation theories that lacked an acceptable medical or scientific foundation and were frequently criticized by the court. SIGNIFICANCE Despite the lack of epidemiological or mechanistic evidence indicating that childhood vaccines covered by the VICP result in or aggravate epilepsy, these cases continue to be adjudicated. After 35 years of intense litigation, it is time to reconsider whether epilepsy should continue to be a compensable vaccine-induced injury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodney C Scott
- Nemours Children's Hospital-Delaware, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
| | - Solomon L Moshé
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Gregory L Holmes
- Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Remonde CG, Gonzales EL, Adil KJ, Jeon SJ, Shin CY. Augmented impulsive behavior in febrile seizure-induced mice. Toxicol Res 2023; 39:37-51. [PMID: 36726823 PMCID: PMC9839938 DOI: 10.1007/s43188-022-00145-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Febrile seizure (FS) is one of the most prevalent etiological events in childhood affecting 2-5% of children from 3 months to 5 years old. Debates on whether neurodevelopmental consequences rise in later life following a febrile seizure or not are still ongoing however there is limited evidence of its effect, especially in a laboratory setting. Moreover, the comparative study using both male and female animal models is sparse. To examine the effect of FS on the behavioral features of mice, both sexes of ICR mice were induced with hyperthermic seizures through exposure to an infrared heat lamp. The mice were divided into two groups, one receiving a single febrile seizure at postnatal day 11 (P11) and one receiving three FS at P11, P13, and P15. Starting at P30 the FS-induced mice were subjected to a series of behavioral tests. Mice with seizures showed no locomotor and motor coordination deficits, repetitive, and depressive-like behavior. However, the FS-induced mice showed impulsive-like behavior in both elevated plus maze and cliff avoidance tests, which is more prominent in male mice. A greater number of mice displayed impaired CAT in both males and females in the three-time FS-induced group compared to the single induction group. These results demonstrate that after induction of FS, male mice have a higher susceptibility to consequences of febrile seizure than female mice and recurrent febrile seizure has a higher chance of subsequent disorders associated with decreased anxiety and increased impulsivity. We confirmed the dysregulated expression of impulsivity-related genes such as 5-HT1A and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 from the prefrontal cortices of FS-induced mice implying that the 5-HT system would be one of the mechanisms underlying the increased impulsivity after FS. Taken together, these findings are useful in unveiling future discoveries about the effect of childhood febrile seizure and the mechanism behind it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chilly Gay Remonde
- School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029 Republic of Korea
| | - Edson Luck Gonzales
- School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029 Republic of Korea
| | - Keremkleroo Jym Adil
- School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029 Republic of Korea
| | - Se Jin Jeon
- School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029 Republic of Korea
| | - Chan Young Shin
- School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029 Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li X, Ruan C, Wu Y, Musa M, Zibrila AI, Zhang Z, Salimeen M. Variances of quantifying of Virchow-Robin spaces detecting the different functional status of glymphatic system in simple febrile seizures affected by seizures duration. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e32606. [PMID: 36596055 PMCID: PMC9803500 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000032606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The Virchow-Robin spaces (VRs) in the cerebral glymphatic system play a vital role in waste clearance from the brain. Simple febrile seizures (SFS) are a common type of seizures marked by an inappropriate fluid exchange. The mechanism of evident differences in glymphatic function among SFS with varying seizure duration is unknown. Therefore, the goal of this study was to see whether there were any variations in glymphatic function among SFS based on seizures duration. We retrospectively studied 30 children with SFS lasting more than 5 minutes (SFS > 5M), 40 children with SFS lasting 5 minutes or less (SFS ≤ 5M), and 35 healthy controls aged 6 to 60 months who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A custom-designed automated method that used T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) to segment the visible VRs. The VRs metrics were measured and compared studied groups. The VRs metrics, seizure duration the time gap between seizure onset and MRI scan were studied as well. VRs counts were lower (P < .001) in the SFS ≤ 5M (445.80 ± 66.10) and the control (430.77 ± 182.55) groups in comparison to SFS > 5M (642.70 ± 100.62). Similar results were found for VRs volume (VRsvol_SFS > 5M, 8514.63 ± 835.33mm3, VRsvol_SFS ≤ 5M, 6390.43 ± 692.74 mm3, VRsvol_control, 6048.37 ± 111.50 mm3; P < .001). However, in the SFS ≤ 5M, VRs measurements were lower than in the SFS > 5M (P < .001). VRs measurements were positively connected with seizure duration and inversely correlated with the course following seizure onset and MRI scan time in both SFS groups. SFS are positively correlated to glymphatic dysfunction since they cause enlarged VRs; additionally, VRs can be used as a biomarker in SFS > 5M and contribute to the mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Yan’an University, Yanan,China
| | - Cailian Ruan
- Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Yan’an University, Yanan City, China
| | - Yifan Wu
- MD Undergraduate Program, School of Medicine, Yan’an University, Yan’an City, China
| | - Mazen Musa
- Department of Orthodontics, Al Tegana Dental Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Science and Technology, Omdurman, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Abdoulaye Issotina Zibrila
- Laboratory of Experimental Pharmacology, Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin
| | - Zhengxiang Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Yan’an University, Yan’an City, China
| | - Mustafa Salimeen
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Yan’an University, Yan’an City, China
- Department of Radiology, Dongola Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Dongola, Dongola City, Sudan
- * Correspondence: Mustafa Salimeen, Radiology Department, Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Yan’an University, Yan’an City, China (e-mail: )
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Crespo M, León-Navarro DA, Martín M. Na +/K +- and Mg 2+-ATPases and Their Interaction with AMPA, NMDA and D 2 Dopamine Receptors in an Animal Model of Febrile Seizures. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314638. [PMID: 36498965 PMCID: PMC9737571 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Febrile seizures (FS) are one of the most common seizure disorders in childhood which are classified into short and prolonged, depending on their duration. Short FS are usually considered as benign. However, epidemiological studies have shown an association between prolonged FS and temporal lobe epilepsy. The development of animal models of FS has been very useful to investigate the mechanisms and the consequences of FS. One of the most used, the "hair dryer model", has revealed that prolonged FS may lead to temporal lobe epilepsy by altering neuronal function. Several pieces of evidence suggest that Na+/ K+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase may play a role in this epileptogenic process. In this work, we found that hyperthermia-induced seizures (HIS) significantly increased the activity of Na+/ K+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase five and twenty days after hyperthermic insult, respectively. These effects were diminished in response to AMPA, D2 dopamine A1 and A2A receptors activation, respectively. Furthermore, HIS also significantly increased the protein level of the AMPA subunit GluR1. Altogether, the increased Na+/ K+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase agree well with the presence of protective mechanisms. However, the reduction in ATPase activities in the presence of NMDA and AMPA suggest an increased propensity for epileptic events in adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María Crespo
- Department of Inorganic, Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Technological Sciences, Regional Centre of Biomedical Research (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - David Agustín León-Navarro
- Department of Inorganic, Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Technological Sciences, Regional Centre of Biomedical Research (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-926-052-114
| | - Mairena Martín
- Department of Inorganic, Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Technological Sciences, School of Medicine of Ciudad Real, Regional Centre of Biomedical Research (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bashkatova VG, Bogdanova NG, Nazarova GA, Sudakov SK. Features of the Effects of Glutamatergic System Modulators in the Model of Hyperthermal Seizures in Rat Pups. Bull Exp Biol Med 2022; 174:43-46. [PMID: 36437319 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-022-05645-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We studied the effect of lamotrigine, an anticonvulsant inhibiting the presynaptic release of glutamate, and LY341495, an antagonist of metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptors, on the development of hyperthermic seizures and the content of LPO products in the brain of 8-10-day-old Wistar rats. Rat pups in the early postnatal period demonstrated pronounced seizures in response to thermal exposure, which was accompanied by an increase in the level of LPO products in the cerebral cortex. It was shown that the latency of generalized seizures increased after administration of both lamotrigine and LY341495. The most pronounced effect was observed in animals treated with lamotrigine. Both test substances prevented LPO intensification induced by hyperthermic exposure to varying degrees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- V G Bashkatova
- P. K. Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology, Moscow, Russia.
| | - N G Bogdanova
- P. K. Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - G A Nazarova
- P. K. Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - S K Sudakov
- P. K. Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology, Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bando SY, Bertonha FB, Pimentel-Silva LR, de Oliveira JGM, Carneiro MAD, Oku MHM, Wen HT, Castro LHM, Moreira-Filho CA. Hippocampal CA3 transcriptional modules associated with granule cell alterations and cognitive impairment in refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy patients. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10257. [PMID: 33986407 PMCID: PMC8119682 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89802-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In about a third of the patients with epilepsy the seizures are not drug-controlled. The current limitation of the antiepileptic drug therapy derives from an insufficient understanding of epilepsy pathophysiology. In order to overcome this situation, it is necessary to consider epilepsy as a disturbed network of interactions, instead of just looking for changes in single molecular components. Here, we studied CA3 transcriptional signatures and dentate gyrus histopathologic alterations in hippocampal explants surgically obtained from 57 RMTLE patients submitted to corticoamygdalohippocampectomy. By adopting a systems biology approach, integrating clinical, histopathological, and transcriptomic data (weighted gene co-expression network analysis), we were able to identify transcriptional modules highly correlated with age of disease onset, cognitive dysfunctions, and granule cell alterations. The enrichment analysis of transcriptional modules and the functional characterization of the highly connected genes in each trait-correlated module allowed us to unveil the modules’ main biological functions, paving the way for further investigations on their roles in RMTLE pathophysiology. Moreover, we found 15 genes with high gene significance values which have the potential to become novel biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets in RMTLE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Yumi Bando
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05403-900, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Bernardi Bertonha
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05403-900, Brazil
| | - Luciana Ramalho Pimentel-Silva
- Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, 13083-887, Brazil
| | | | | | - Mariana Hiromi Manoel Oku
- Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05403-900, Brazil
| | - Hung-Tzu Wen
- Epilepsy Surgery Group, Hospital das Clínicas da FMUSP, São Paulo, SP, 05403-900, Brazil
| | | | | |
Collapse
|