Extracellular matrix components are altered in the hippocampus, cortex, and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

This work studied the profile of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the hippocampus, cortex, and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The GAGs were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis, enzymatic degradation, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The hippocampus of TLE patients showed increased levels of chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid against normal levels of these GAGs in the neocortex and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). These results suggest that these matrix components could be involved in the pathophysiology of TLE.