Autoantibodies to glutamate receptors in children with chronic posttraumatic headache

: Autoantibodies (aAB) to AMPA (Glu R1 subunit) and NMDA (NR 2A subunit) glutamate receptors were studied in blood serum of 60 children, aged 7-16 years, with chronic posttraumatic headache after mild skull injury. All the children were divided into 2 groups: group 1 included 48 children with concussion of the brain, group 2--12 children with brain contusion. Group 1 was divided into 2 subgroups: subgroup 1a comprised 34 children with single concussion and subgroup 1b--14 children with repeated concussion. The aAB level was determined 6 months and 1 year after skull injury. The aAB concentration was expressed in percents to the control level being considered significant if the increase was higher than 120%. The increased NMDA aAB level was observed during the first year after skull injury. In the la subgroup, the NR2 aAB level in blood serum was 145 +/- 12,6%, in the 1b one--108 +/- 12,4%, in group 2--165 +/- 34%. The content of aAB to AMPA receptors was elevated only in children of lb subgroup and group 2 (150 +/- 16,8% and 167 +/- 31,3%, respectively). The EEG examination of this group revealed the nonspecific paroxysmal discharges in 18% of cases and epileptiform activity in 6% of children. The results obtained suggest that children with posttraumatic headache have elevated levels of aAB to glutamate receptors, hyperstimulation of which reflects hypoxic processes in the brain, and are in need of metabolic therapy.