ABCB1 Polymorphisms and Drug-Resistant Epilepsy in a Tunisian Population

Table 1

General characteristics of the study population.

Variables		Epileptic patients ()		Patient group ()		Control group ()
			%		%		%
Sex ratio	Male	56	56	28	56	28	56
	Female	44	44	22	44	22	44
Age (years)
Age at seizure onset (years)
Type of seizure	Generalized	75	75	42	84	33	66
	Focal	20	20	3	6	17	34
	Focal to bilateral tonic-clonic	5	5	5	10	0	0
Epileptic syndrome	Yes	26	26	19^a	38	7^b	14
	No	74	74	31	62	43	86
Etiology of epilepsy	Autoimmune	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Genetic	31	31	24	48	7	14
	Infectious	1	1	0	0	1	2
	Metabolic	1	1	0	0	1	2
	Structural	10	10	0	0	10	20
	Unknown	57	57	26	52	31	62
Medical history	Yes	16	16	8^c	16	8^d	16
	No	84	84	42	84	42	84
Antiepileptic treatment	Monotherapy	34	34	0	0	34^e	68
	Bitherapy	24	24	8^f	16	16^g	32
	Polytherapy	42	42	42^h	84	0	0

Values ( and %). ^aAbsences, Angelman, continuous spikes and waves during sleep (CSWS), Dalla Benardina, Doose, Dravet, Ohtahara, early myoclonic encephalopathy (EME), generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+), juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), Lennox-Gastaut, WEST. ^bAbsences, benign epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BECTS), early myoclonic encephalopathy (EME), idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGE), tuberous sclerosis of Bourneville (STB). ^cAppendectomy, bronchopneumopathy, dehydration and gastroenteritis, febrile seizures, mental retardation with behavioral disorder, neonatal cyanosis, recurrent bilateral otitis media, recurrent urinary tract infections, varicella ^dAppendectomy, bilateral hernia, bilateral testicular ectopia, enuresis, febrile seizures, gastroesophageal reflux, trauma, maternal-feotal infection, mumps, neonatal hypoglycemia, strabismus, stunting delay. ^eControls were prescribed single AED (carbamazepine or valproic acid). ^fPatients were prescribed a combination of 2 AEDs (carbamazepine, clonazepam, lamotrigine, phenobarbital, valproic acid, vigabatrin). ^gControls were prescribed a combination of 2 AEDs (carbamazepine, clonazepam, phenobarbital, valproic acid). ^hPatients were prescribed a combination of diverse AEDs (carbamazepine, clobazam, clonazepam, diazepam, ethosuximide, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, phenobarbital, phenytoin, topiramate, valproic acid, vigabatrin).