Serum Level of Interleukin 6 in Children with Febrile Seizures

Abstract

Background: Febrile seizures [FSs] are frequently observed seizure occurrences during childhood, making them the most prevalent form of seizures in this age group. The activation of the cytokine network is known to play a substantial role in the development of febrile seizures. It is hypothesized that the activation and subsequent release of Interleukin [IL]-6 may be responsible for the induction of fever in individuals experiencing febrile seizures. Interleukin-6 [IL-6] is widely recognized as a pivotal cytokine in the pathogenesis of febrile seizures.The Aim of the work: This study aims to assess the value of serum interleukin-6 [IL-6] in children with febrile seizures [simple or complex]. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional controlled study was conducted on 100 children, 50 formed the febrile seizure group [35 patients had a simple febrile seizure and 15 had a complex febrile seizure] aged 6 months to 6 years and 50 matched febrile children formed the control group. The patients of both groups were selected in the period from February to September 2022.Results: We compared the serum IL-6 between the studied groups. The mean level of IL-6 in simple febrile seizure [SFS] was 44.04 ± 39.4, in complex febrile seizure [CFS] was 124.4 ± 95.69 and in the control group, it was 16.98 ± 14.4. Serum IL-6 was significantly higher in complex febrile seizure than in simple febrile seizure and the control group.Conclusion: Inflammatory cytokines especially IL-6 play an important role in the genesis of febrile seizures.

Keywords

• febrile seizures
• interleukin-6
• simple febrile seizure
• complex febrile seizure