The Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs on Complete Blood Cell Counts in Children with Epilepsy

Objective: Since antiepileptic drug use is long-term, it may be important to know their effects on blood cell counts during the management of these patients. However, these effects have not been adequately evaluated in epileptic children. In our study, the effects of valproate, levetiracetam and carbamazepine on complete blood counts were assessed in children. Material and Methods: Material and methods: Consecutive epilepsy patients under monotherapy were reviewed retrospectively. Eighty patients, whose data were available before the treatment and at 2-6 months and 9-16 months after treatment initiation were included in the study. The ages at the start of the treatment were taken into consideration. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, erythrocyte, platelet and leucocyte counts, leukocyte subset percentages and the mean volume and distribution width of the erythrocytes and thrombocytes were recorded. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the levels at pre-treatment and at 2-6 and 9-16 months after treatment initiation in the patients treated with levetiracetam (n=25) and carbamazepine (n=20). In the valproate group (n=35), there was an increase in mean corpuscular volume and monocyte percentage, and a decrease in platelet counts, in the first six months (p=0.015, p=0.001, p=0.005, respectively). At 9-16 months, the lymphocyte percentage increased while the neutrophil and eosinophil percentages decreased (p=0.016, p=0.014, p=0.01, respectively) in this group. Conclusion: In our study, valproate caused an increase in the percentage of lympho-monocytes and mean corpuscular volume, and a decrease in the platelet count, neutrophil and eosinophil percentages. These effects seem to be related to the fact that valproate is a histone deacetylase inhibitor