Serum Interleukin-1β and Interleukin-6 levels in children with status epilepticus in Indonesia

Background and objectives. The most common neurological emergency is status epilepticus (SE). The morbidity and mortality of SE are still high. Immune system activation and inflammation play a role in neuronal death in humans with SE. Interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) are important pro-inflammatory cytokines in seizure susceptibility and brain cell death. This study aims to compare serum IL-1β and IL-6 levels of between children with SE and non-SE seizures. Material and methods. This study employed an analytic observational method at Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital Surabaya. The subjects were divided seizures into SE and non-SE seizures. The patients underwent a blood test after the initial assessment in the form of anamnesis, physical examination. Serum IL-1β and IL-6 levels were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Differences between the SE and non-SE groups were determined by using Fisher’s exact test or the Mann-Whitney test. Results. Forty patients participated in the study. In the SE seizure group, the median was 16 months, and the male gender was more prevalent (75%). The clinical manifestations that appeared more frequently in the SE group were fever and decreased consciousness. Most patients were alive at the end of the study: four patients in the SE group died. There was no significant difference in serum IL-1β between the groups (P=0.372). However, serum IL-6 serum levels were significantly higher in the SE group compared with the non-SE group (P=0.001). Conclusions. Serum IL-1β levels did not differ between the SE and non-SE groups, but serum IL-6 levels were higher in the SE group.