Interleukin-1β levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of children with febrile seizures

We compared interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of children with febrile seizures with those of children with febrile illnesses without seizures (control). Twenty 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. IL-Iβ levels were measured by a specific radioimmunoassay method. No significant differences were observed between mean IL-1β levels in CSF (4.15 ± 1.5 pg/ml) and blood (2.92 ± 2.6 pg/ml) of the patients 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. These results do not support the hypothesis that increased production of IL- 1β or increased diffusion of IL-1β through the blood-brain barrier is involved in the pathogenesis of febrile seizures in children.