title: SIDS cases have increased levels of interleukin-6 in cerebrospinal fluid.
abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 20 infants who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), 7 cases of infectious death and 5 cases of violent death were examined with respect to concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6). The measurements were performed by ELISA. IL-6 levels in SIDS were significantly lower than in infectious death (p < 0.02), but significantly higher than in violent death (p < 0.02). Since IL-6 plays an important role in immune responses and may induce fever, the findings may suggest that immune activation plays a role in SIDS. The presence of cytokines in the central nervous system (CNS) may cause respiratory depression, especially in vulnerable infants.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vege
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Rognum
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Aasen
authors.forename: O D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Saugstad
mesh_terms: D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D013997:Time Factors; D014754:Violence
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6