Serum Interleukin-6 as a Potential Biomarker in Absence Epilepsy

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Basarir G., Baysoy A., Yilmaz S. B., ÇOLAK A., Dundar N. O., Gencpinar P.

Haseki Tip Bulteni, cilt.63, sa.4, ss.195-201, 2025 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 63 Sayı: 4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.4274/haseki.galenos.2025.07269
  • Dergi Adı: Haseki Tip Bulteni
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.195-201
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Absence, epilepsy, interleukin-6, seizures, valproic acid
  • Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
  • Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Aim: The role of inflammation in absence epilepsy remains a subject of debate. The present study aims to assess the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in absence epilepsy by determining serum IL-6 levels of children with absence epilepsy and the association with anti-seizure medications, seizure frequency, and semiology by comparing to a control group. Methods: Fifteen children aged 3-17 years who were followed up with the diagnosis of absence epilepsy and 30 healthy controls were included in this cross-sectional observational study between November 2020 and April 2021. Serum IL-6 levels of subjects were measured by the chemiluminescence method. Results: Serum IL-6 levels in the patient group were significantly lower (2.98±1.02 pg/mL) than in the controls (5.35±0.87 pg/mL) (p<0.001). The patients receiving valproic acid monotherapy had significantly lower serum IL-6 levels than both the patients receiving other anti-seizure medications and healthy controls (p=0.04). Patients with active seizures had higher serum IL-6 levels than seizure-free patients (3.52±0.54 pg/mL, 2.72±1.12 pg/mL; p=0.01, respectively). Moreover, there was a moderate to strong positive correlation between the presence of active seizures and serum IL-6 levels (Spearman’s p=0.629, p=0.0069). Conclusion: Our study is the first clinical investigation of IL-6 concentrations in absence epilepsy patients and possible relations between IL-6 and patient characteristics.