Pharmacogenetic and case–control study on potassium channel related gene variants and genetic generalized epilepsy

Potassium channels are the targets of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), which play important roles in the etiology of epilepsy. KCNA1 and KCNA2 encode mammalian Kv1.1 and Kv1.2 channels, which are essential roles in the initiation and shaping of action potentials. KCNV2 encodes Kv8.2, which is a regional overlap with Kv2 subunits as functional heterotetramers. In our study, we aim to investigate whether variants of KCNA1, KCNA2, and KCNV2 genes influence susceptibility to genetic generalized epilepsies (GGEs) and the efficacy of AEDs. Seven hundred sixty-seven subjects (284 healthy controls, 279 drug-responsive, and 204 drug-resistant GGE patients) were enrolled in our study. Eight variants of KCNA1, KCNA2, and KCNV2 were assessed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry method. Results showed that there were no statistically significant correlations between the 8 variants of KCNA1, KCNA2, and KCNV2 and the risk/drug resistance of GGEs. In conclusion, our study suggests that KCNA1, KCNA2, and KCNV2 variants may not be involved in the risk/drug resistance of GGEs. Further multicenter, multiethnic, and large sample size pharmacogenetic and case–control studies are warranted to confirm our negative results.