title: The role of interleukin-1 in seizures and epilepsy: a critical review.
abstract: Interleukin-1 (IL-1) has a multitude of functions in the central nervous system. Some of them involve mechanisms that are related to epileptogenesis. The role of IL-1 in seizures and epilepsy has been investigated in both patients and animal models. This review aims to synthesize, based on the currently available literature, the consensus role of IL-1 in epilepsy. Three lines of evidence suggest a role for IL-1: brain tissue from epilepsy patients and brain tissue from animal models shows increased IL-1 expression after seizures, and IL-1 has proconvulsive properties when applied exogeneously. However, opposing results have been published as well. More research is needed to fully establish the role of IL-1 in seizure generation and epilepsy, and to explore possible new treatment strategies that are based on interference with intracellular signaling cascades that are initiated when IL-1 binds to its receptor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands. kimrijkers@gmail.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rijkers
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Majoie
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hoogland
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kenis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Baets
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Vles
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000502:physiology; D012640:Seizures / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1