title: Immunity and inflammation in status epilepticus and its sequelae: possibilities for therapeutic application.
abstract: Status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening neurological emergency often refractory to available treatment options. It is a very heterogeneous condition in terms of clinical presentation and causes, which besides genetic, vascular and other structural causes also include CNS or severe systemic infections, sudden withdrawal from benzodiazepines or anticonvulsants and rare autoimmune etiologies. Treatment of SE is essentially based on expert opinions and antiepileptic drug treatment per se seems to have no major impact on prognosis. There is, therefore, urgent need of novel therapies that rely upon a better understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying this clinical condition. Accumulating evidence in animal models highlights that inflammation ensuing in the brain during SE may play a determinant role in ongoing seizures and their long-term detrimental consequences, independent of an infection or auto-immune cause; this evidence encourages reconsideration of the treatment flow in SE patients.
authors: a 1 Department of Neuroscience, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milano, Italy.
authors: Annamaria
authors: A
authors: Vezzani
authors: Raymond
authors: R
authors: Dingledine
authors: Andrea O
authors: AO
authors: Rossetti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D012640:Seizures / Q000188:drug therapy; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D001569:Benzodiazepines
keywords: COX-2; animal models; anti-inflammatory treatments; blood–brain barrier; comorbidities; cytokines; neurodegeneration; outcome; prognosis; refractory status epilepticus; seizures