Relationship between interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid and acute viral encephalitis with seizures

Abstract

Objective To investigate the relationship between interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid and acute viral encephalitis with seizures. Methods Thirty patients with viral encephalitis were enrolled in the Department of Neurology, the First Clinical Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from March 2016 to January 2017. According to the presence or absence of seizures, the patients were divided into two groups: patients with seizures and those without seizures. At the same time, ten non-viral encephalitis patients with seizures and ten patients undergoing spinal cord anesthesia without infection or inflammation were included as controls. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid were collected from each group. The levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in serum and cerebrospinal fluid were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in serum and cerebrospinal fluid were significantly higher in patients with viral encephalitis than in controls (P<0.05), and in acute viral encephalitis patients with seizures than in those without (P<0.05). Conclusion The levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in serum and cerebrospinal fluid are significantly higher in acute viral encephalitis patients with seizures than in those without. Key words: Viral encephalitis; Epilepsy; Seizure; Cytokines