Reduced cerebrospinal fluid levels of interleukin-10 in children with febrile seizures

Abstract

A B S T R A C TPurpose: The exact etiology of febrile seizures (FS) is still unclear. However, it is thought that cytokine network activation may have a causative role. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) as a proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10 (IL-10) as an anti-inflammatory cytokine, and interferon-β (IFNβ), a marker of toll-like receptor-3 activation as a host response to viruses. These cytokine levels were analyzed in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of children after a FS. Methods: With the approval of the Human Research Ethics Committee, 76 patients with FS, who underwent lumbar puncture (LP) for the exclusion of central nervous system (CNS) infection, and who didn't have CSF pleocytosis, were included in the study. The control group consisted of 10 patients with similar ages, with an acute febrile illness and who required LP to exclude CNS infection. The analyses were made by the enzymelinked immunoassay method. Results: Age, gender distribution and CSF IL-12 and IFN-β levels did not differ, but CSF IL-10 levels were significantly lower in the FS group as compared to the control group (0.78 ± 4.5 pg/ml, versus 27 ± 29 pg/ml, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The low-level of CSF IL-10, considering its anti-inflammatory properties, may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of FS.

Exploring the Involvement of Cytokines in Pediatric Patients Afflicted by Simple Febrile Seizures: A Case-Control Study

“…Children with FS have been demonstrated to have higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine than febrile controls; however, our results contradict these previous studies [24][25][26]. Virta et al found that the levels of IL-6 in CSF were considerably more significant in those with FS.…”

Recurrent febrile seizures and serum cytokines: a controlled follow-up study

“…The technical difficulty of measuring cytokines may, in part, explain the contradictions between the results of the current study and those of earlier studies of cytokine levels in patients with FSs. [7][8][9][10][17][18][19][20][21] In the present study, IL-1RA and IL-6 were the only cytokines that demonstrated significant differences between study patients and control patients. The level of IL-1RA, which is described as a reliable indicator of IL-1 axis activity, rises several hours after proinflammatory cytokines, reaching its peak about 24 h after a seizure; therefore, we chose a sampling time limit of 24 h after a seizure.…”

Acute Phase Serum Leptin, Adiponectin, Interleukin-6, and Visfatin Are Altered in Chinese Children With Febrile Seizures: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Wellmann et al found that the serum copeptin and Von Willebrand factor (VWF) of children with FS were significantly higher than those of the control group ( 3 , 7 ). The levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-4 (IL-4), in the peripheral blood of children with FS also exhibited significant changes, suggesting that these inflammatory molecules may play an important role in the pathogenesis of FS ( 8 – 10 ). These observations suggest that serum levels of some bioactive substances have a specific relation with FS, but so far, none has been clinically recognized and applied.…”