Insights into inflammation and epilepsy from the basic and clinical sciences.
Inflammatory mediators are overexpressed in brain tissue after induction of seizures in animal models, and several studies demonstrate their involvement in neuronal hyperexcitability, seizure frequency and duration. In accordance with these results, the study of cerebrospinal fluid and brain specimens from patients with chronic epilepsy have shown increased levels of cytokines and areas of hippocampal sclerosis, respectively. Here we review the current findings supporting the existence of an ongoing inflammatory process in the physiopathology of epilepsy.
Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenue Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil.
Gustavo
G
Silveira
Antonio Carlos Pinheiro
AC
de Oliveira
Antonio Lucio
AL
Teixeira
D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans
D016207:Cytokines