INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA LEVELS IN SERUM AND CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF CHILDREN WITH FEBRILE SEIZURES

We compared interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) levels in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of children with febrile seizures with t hose of children with febrile illnesses without seizures (control), Tw enty patients were included in the study, 10 with febrile seizures and 10 with febrile illness not complicated by seizures (control), Blood and CSF were obtained after the patients' admission to the hospital. I L-1 beta levels were measured by a specific radioimmunoassay method, N o significant differences were observed between mean IL-1 beta levels in CSF (4.15 +/- 1.5 pg/ml) and blood (2.92 +/- 2.6 pg/ml) of the pati ents with febrile seizures group as compared with those in CSF (3.2 +/ - 3.2 pg/ml) and blood (3.44 +/- 3.16 pg/ml) in the control group, The se results do not support the hypothesis that increased production of IL-1 beta or increased diffusion of IL-1 beta through the blood-brain barrier is involved in the pathogenesis of febrile seizures in childre n, (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc, All rights reserved.