Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in children with febrile convulsions.

The production of interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and IL-10 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells was examined in 13 children with and 11 children without any history of febrile convulsions. The results revealed an increase in all types of cytokine production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated mononuclear cells from individuals of both groups. However, the secretion of IL-6 and IL-10 in response to lipopolysaccharide was higher in those with a previous history of convulsions. Because IL-1 beta production precedes that of IL-10, a cytokine known to suppress IL-1 beta generation, it is possible that its secretion was inhibited partially by the significantly higher amount of IL-10 found after 24 hours of incubation. If this were the case, these findings may explain the comparable levels of IL-1 beta produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from children of both groups. The higher level of IL-1 beta produced by mononuclear cells from children with history of convulsion after 5 hours of incubation with lipopolysaccharide supports this assumption.