الفهرس 
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Abstract
Epilepsy is estimated by the World Health Organization to affect 0.8% of the
world’s population. Although epilepsy is a relatively common neurological
disorder, its etiology and pathophysiology continue to be elusive in many
cases.
Accumulating evidence suggested that inflammatory and immune reactions
may play an important role in neuronal excitability and epileptogenesis.
Chronic brain inflammation may also contribute to intractability of seizures
and comorbidity in chronic epilepsy patients.No effective treatments
currently exist to protect the brain from seizure-induced cell death and
prevent future development of chronic epilepsy.
There is evidence that seizure triggered de novo synthesis of cytokines.
Experimental and clinical studies had shown that prolonged seizures (status
epilepticus) result in increased cytokines production in the nervous system.
The role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in seizures induced-cell damage is
suggested by the evidence that glia produce them to a large extent when
seizures cause neuronal injury.
The mechanisms by which the seizures induce the synthesis of specific types
of cytokines are still unknown.
The aim of the work was to investigate the serum levels of C-reactive
protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as inflammatory biomarkers in
intractable epilepsy in pediatric patients aged five to fifteen years old to
detect a relation between intractable epilepsy and chronic inflammation.
This study was conducted on 40 child Egyptian epileptic patients (25 with
intractable epilepsy and 15 with non intractable epilepsy) recruited from
epilepsy outpatient clinic of Kasr Alaini hospitals from January 2016 to
November 2016, with excluding of any patient with a condition which may
increase the level of CRP and IL-6. Together with 20 healthy control
subjects age and sex matched.
The mean age of the patients was 10.10 ± 2.67and the mean age of the
normal subjects was 10.10 ± 3.45.
The patients were subjected to full neurological history emphasizing seizure
characteristics, full neurological examination, EEG, and brain MRI to
exclude organic causes of epilepsy. Serum CRP and IL-6 levels were done to
all subjects. The results of the study are summarized in the following points:
• There was a statistical significant increase in the mean levels of CRP
and IL-6 in patients over control group and also increase in CRP and
IL-6 levels in patients with intractable epilepsy over patients with
controlled epilepsy.
• Patients with duration between attacks much shorter had statistical
significant increase in the mean CRP and IL-6 levels over other
patients.
• There was significant correlation between CRP and IL-6 levels and
age of onset of epilepsy and EEG findings changes.
• There was no significant correlation between CRP and IL-6 levels and
age or sex of the patients, duration of epilepsy, and MRI changes.